PS10 solar power plant

PS10 Solar Power Plant
Location of PS10 Solar Power Plant in Spain
Official name	Planta Solar 10
Country	Spain
Location	Sanlúcar la Mayor, Seville Province, Andalusia
Coordinates
Status	Operational
Construction began	2004
Commission date	30 March 2007
Construction cost	€35 million
Owner(s)	Abengoa Solar
Solar field
Type	CSP
CSP technology	Solar power tower
Collectors	624
Site resource	2,012 kWh/m2/yr
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	11 MW
Capacity factor	24%
Annual generation	23.4 GWh

The PS10 Solar Power Plant (Spanish: Planta Solar 10), is the world's first commercial concentrating solar power tower operating near Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. The 11 megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with 624 large movable mirrors called heliostats. It took four years to build and so far cost €35 million (US$46 million). PS10 produces about 23,400 megawatt-hours (MW·h) per year, for which it receives €271 (US$360) per MW·h under its power purchase agreement, equating to a revenue of €6.3 million per year.

Suppliers

The mirrors were delivered by Abengoa, the solar receiver was designed and built by Tecnical-Tecnicas Reunidas, a Spanish engineering company; and the Solar Tower was designed and built by ALTAC, another Spanish engineering and construction company.

Specifications

Each of the mirrors has a surface measuring 1,292 square feet (120.0 m²) that concentrates the sun's rays to the top of a 115-meter (377 ft) high, 40-story tower where a solar receiver and a steam turbine are located. The turbine drives a generator, producing electricity.

The PS10 is located 20 km west of Seville (which receives at least nine hours of sunshine 320 days per year, with 15 hours per day in mid summer). The solar receiver at the top of the tower produces saturated steam at 275 °C. The energy conversion efficiency is approximately 17%.

Plans

Solar Towers from left: PS10, PS20.

The first three units of Solnova. I (right) III (left, front) and IV (left rear). The two towers in the background are the PS10 and PS20 solar power stations.

PS10 is the first of a set of solar power generation plants to be constructed in the same area that will total more than 300 MW by 2013. Power generation will be accomplished using a variety of technologies. The first two power plants to be brought into operation at Sanlúcar la Mayor are the PS10, and Sevilla PV, the largest low concentration system photovoltaic plant in Europe.

300 MW:
Completed and is operating:

• PS10 (10 MW)
• PS20 (20 MW)
• Solnova 1 (50 MW)
• Solnova 3 (50 MW)
• Solnova 4 (50 MW)

total: 180 MW.

Three more plants are planned:

• AZ20 (20 MW)
• Solnova 2 (50 MW)
• Solnova 5 (50 MW)

Total 120 MW.

PS20 and AZ20 are twin 20 MWe tower plants based on the same concept as PS10.

Energy storage

The PS10 solar power tower stores heat in tanks as superheated and pressurized water at 50 bar and 285 °C. The water evaporates and flashes back to steam, releasing energy and reducing the pressure. Storage is for 30 minutes. It is suggested that longer storage is possible, but that has not been proven yet in an existing power plant. However, there are many considerations for using molten salt as an energy storage medium due to the great capability of storing energy for long periods of time without substantial losses. Another possibility is to use a phase-change material as thermal storage where latent heat is used to store energy.

See also

• List of solar thermal power stations
• Renewable energy in the European Union
• Solar power in Spain
• Solar thermal energy
• Solucar

External links

• Final technical progress report, for European Union officials (November 2006)
• Power station harnesses Sun's rays
• Description and pictures
• Power tower reflects well on sunny Spain