Press Release
Gemasolar solar power plant reaches 24 hours of uninterrupted
production
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First thermosolar power plant in the world to supply uninterrupted power for an entire day
Technology offers real alternative to fossil fuel-powered plants
Seville, July 04, 2011 – Gemasolar, the concentrated solar power plant located in Fuentes de
Andalucía (Seville), a property of Torresol Energy (a joint venture between Masdar – Abu
Dhabi’s future energy and clean technology company and SENER – the leading Spanish
engineering and construction company) has supplied its first uninterrupted day of electricity to
the network.
This has been made possible by its innovative technique of storing solar energy in molten salt, a
cutting-edge thermal-transfer technology developed by SENER. This system is capable of
fifteen hours of electricity production without solar radiation which overcomes fluctuations in the
energy supply.
Diego Ramírez, Director of Production at Torresol Energy, explained how it was possible to
achieve 24-hour production in record time, after barely a month of commercial operation at the
plant: "Gemasolar achieved optimal performance in its systems in the last week of June. The
high performance of the installations coincided with several days of excellent solar radiation
which made it possible for the hot-salt storage tank to reach full capacity. We're hoping that in
the next few days our supply to the network will reach an average of 20 hours a day."
The salt storage system allows the plant to stretch its electrical production hours to beyond
sunset, regardless of the cloud cover. Thus, Gemasolar, with its 19.9 MW steam turbine, is able
to supply electricity to a population of 25,000 households.
Eventually the plant will be able to supply 24hrs of uninterrupted production per day on most
summer days, providing a higher annual capacity factor than most baseload plants such as
nuclear power plants.
Director of Masdar Power, Frank Wouters said: “The prove-out of both this technology and the
commercial approach we have taken to funding and operating the facility are of huge
significance to the solar industry and we are very proud of these twin achiements. They will help
inform our progress as we expand our portfolio of renewable energy facilities.”
SENER has applied its solar technology with thermal-storage capacity in plants throughout
Spain, some of which are already in commercial operation. This system significantly improves
performance compared to plants with no storage capacity. In addition, it makes it possible to
manage the supply of electricity sent to the network and respond to spikes in demand. In this
way, the reliability of solar energy becomes comparable to that of conventional fossil-fuel power
plants, which is decisive as the demand for renewable energy increases.
Gemasolar is the first plant to apply the thermal-storage system in a configuration with a central
tower and an array of heliostats. The main difference between it and plants with parabolic-
trough technology is its ability to reach a much higher operating temperature (over 500°C) by
dispensing with oil and directly using salts as a transfer fluid. The molten salts, at over 500°C,
make it possible to generate hotter steam at higher pressures, which significantly boosts the
plant's efficiency.
SENER has been responsible for providing the technology, the engineering detail design and for
leading the EPC and commissioning works of the plant. Gemasolar's most cutting-edge
equipment includes its receiver, located at the top of the tower over 140 m high, where the
2,650 heliostats of the solar field concentrate the solar radiation at a ratio of 1000:1. This
receiver is able to absorb 95% of the radiation from the sun’s spectrum and transmit this energy
to the molten salt compound that circulates within the receiver, which is then used to heat steam
and operate the steam turbines.
Torresol Energy, founded in 2008, is a joint venture between the SENER engineering and
technology group, which holds 60% of the company, and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s leading future
energy company, who holds the remaining 40%. The company commercially develops,
supervises the construction of, promotes and operates concentrated solar power plants in the
international market.
About Torresol Energy
Torresol Energy, an alliance between the companies SENER and MASDAR, was created for the purpose
of becoming a leader in the concentrated solar power (CSP) sector, with the goal of promoting
technological development and the operation of large concentrated solar power plants around the world,
especially in the so-called “solar belt”: Southern Europe (including Spain), Northern Africa, the Middle
East and the Southwestern USA.
Every new Torresol Energy project will introduce and test new technologies with MASDAR and SENER’s
support in order to make Concentrated Solar Power an economically competitive option and thus make it
a real, viable, ecological and sustainable alternative to traditional energy. In this regard, the protection of
the environment for future generations is one of Torresol Energy's core commitments.
Currently, the company has started the commercial operation of the Gemasolar plant, with 19.9 MW and
central-tower technology and heliostat field, located in Fuentes de Andalucía, in Seville. At the same time,
Torresol Energy is building two other plants, Valle 1 and Valle 2, two twin installations with cylindricalparabolic collector technology, 50 MW each one, located in San José del Valle, in the province of Cadiz.
www.torresolenergy.com
About SENER
SENER is a private engineering and technology group founded in Bilbao in 1956 which offers its clients
cutting-edge technological solutions and which enjoys international recognition by virtue of its
commitment to innovation, quality and its independence. SENER has a workforce of more than 5,000
professionals and a turnover of 1,066 million euros.
www.sener.es
About Masdar
Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted initiative advancing the development, commercialization and
deployment of renewable- and alternative-energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a
link between today’s fossil-fuel economy and the energy economy of the future — developing the
“greenprint” for how we will live and work tomorrow. Backed by the stability and reputation of the
Mubadala Development Company, an investment vehicle of the government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is
dedicated to the Emirate’s long-term vision for the future of energy.
For more information about the Masdar Initiative, please visit: www.masdar.ae
About Masdar Power:
Masdar Power is one of the five integrated business units of Abu Dhabi’s clean-energy initiative, Masdar.
Mandated to build and operate a portfolio of large-scale renewable-energy power projects that will enable
Abu Dhabi to achieve 7% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources by 2020, it is
implementing major projects such as the Shams-1 and Nour-1 solar power plants and Sir Bani Yas wind
farm in the UAE, as well as international projects including the London Array, Torresol Energy’s
Gemasolar, Valle 1 & 2 solar power plants in Spain and a wind farm in Seychelles.
Through its partnerships and investments in technology related to utility-scale renewable-energy
operating assets, Masdar Power aims to spearhead breakthroughs in the fields of solar PV, concentrated
solar power, and onshore and offshore wind.
For more information about Masdar Power, please visit: www.masdar.ae
More information:
SENER: Mariana Fernandez / Pilar García
Communication
Telephone: 918077318 Email:
[email protected] /
[email protected]
MASDAR: Meray Atef
Executive, Media Planning
Telephone: +971 2 653 6014
Email: [email protected]