Solar thermal power
has a significant advantage over other renewable sectors: it mimics more
accurately the electricity demand curve. There is a large potential to seize
this energy resource in Southern Europe and the Union’s neighbour countries of
the Mediterranean. The installed capacity in Europe is expected to reach 2 GW by 2012 and around 30 GW
by 2020. A much larger expression could be achieved in the long-term by
involving the North Africa countries.
According to ESTELA,
the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association, the European Industry is
the world leader in this sector. Spain in particular has been having
a leading role, building on encouraging feed-in tariffs established by the
Government. The number of Spanish plants which are operating or under
construction is presented in the following table.
Table 1 - Concentrated Solar Power plants in Spain
|
Authorized plants in Spain
|
Number of plants
|
MW
|
|
Operating or in commissioning in 2009
|
8
|
332
|
|
Completion 2010
|
11
|
548
|
|
Completion 2011
|
11
|
516
|
|
Completion 2012
|
11
|
500
|
|
Completion 2013
|
15
|
443
|
|
Total 2010-2013
|
48
|
2007
|
The European
Commission, in its Technology Roadmap for the period 2010-2020, established
several objectives for Solar Thermal Electricity, also known as Concentrated
Solar Power. The main objective set forward is the reduction of the generation,
operation and maintenance costs, through measures such as the improvement of
the system conversion efficiency, the improvement of the reliability and
efficiency of individual components, and the development of advanced plant
monitoring and control technologies.
The second most
important objective is to develop and improve thermal energy storage, as well
as hybridization of the power plants with natural gas or even biomass, in an
effort to increase the operational flexibility and energy dispachability of
Concentrated Solar Power.
Environmental
objectives have also been set. The need to reduce the water-use footprint
associated with the cooling water consumption has also been specifically
included. Optimization of land use through new and innovative designs would
also contribute to reduce the ecological footprint.
In this context,
ESTELA developed the Implementation Plan for 2010-2013 of the Solar Thermal
Electricity European Industrial Initiative, included in the framework of the
SET-Plan, intended to enhance innovation and contribute to increase the
competitiveness of the sector. This implementation plan builds on the idea of coupling innovation and
commercial operation.
Source: Solar Thermal Electricity European Industrial
Initiative Implementation
Plan 2010-2013, May 2012
