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Late Years

Late Years Collaboration and Support on Plant Construction and Customized Projects

After the prosperous start mainly devoted to R&D that was the foundation for the development of a mature and viable technology in terms of economy, Abengoa Solar positions as a pioneer in photovoltaic and C.S.P. commercial plants.

The most important projects on the central receiver were the new heliostats and receivers design.

During the latest years, Solúcar R&D has developed an important activity related to the development of large surface heliostats, such as Colon 70, Sanlúcar 90 y Sanlúcar 120.

Among the highlights of the development of new receivers are:

• Sirec: Volumetric receiver with absorbing matrix with metallic mesh of 300 kWt for testing on the Sulzer bench of the CRC Tower of the Solar de Almería Platform, obtaining temperatures above 1382ºF (750 ºC) for the air flow supplied from the receiver.

• Hitrec: Volumetric receiver with ceramic absorbing matrix of 300 kWt installed also on the Sulzer bench of the CRC Tower, the purpose of which was the solution of thermoplastic problems that lead to a structural design failure due to breakages on previous prototypes.

• Solair: Air volumetric receiver with ceramic absorbing matrix of 3000 kWt, for testing on the TSA bench of the Cesa-1 Tower, of the Solar de Almeria Platform The projects finished with the trial on the behaviors which have been successful from the point of view of the control of thermoelastic deformation.

Within the Cylinder Parabolic Technology, the following projects highlight:

• Inditep: Improvement on the concepts of Direct Steam Generation (DSG) on PTC systems to be implemented on a 5 MW electric power plant. The Inditep project has the purpose of developing the detail engineering of a 5 MWe solar plant, based on the use of DSG, in cylinder parabolic collectors. This project has counted on the co-funding from the 5th European Union Framework Program.
  Today, the actions related to the construction of a PTC-DSG technology plant is continuing within the frame of the Almería Solar DSG Project, with a participation of 32.5% by Abengoa Solar.

• Sattub: Development of absorbing tubes for saturated direct steam generation on PTC systems.

An agreement between Ciemat and Solúcar R&D will allow developing absorbing tubes for saturated direct steam generation at maximum temperatures of 590º F and around 100 bars, on cylinder parabolic collectors.

Works on environments lacking of vacuum, but considering in great extent factors such as the selective treatment of the absorbing tube and antireflection of the protecting glass tube, will allow having a competitive product, considering the cost-benefit equation which could imply advantages for some projects of PTC plants under study today.

Regarding photovoltaic technology, Abengoa Solar has a thorough knowledge in high concentration photovoltaic technology in Si, titanium oxide, semiconductors technology, II-V, and gallium arsenide (Ga-As). In the area of low concentration, the Fotoconsol project is to be noted, which consist on the development of the systems installed in Sevilla PV - the largest low concentration plant in the world.

	Sevilla PV tracker

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