Solar Thermal Electricity, a.k.a. Concentrated Solar Power

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

Solar energy – European photovoltaic industry initiative

Continuing the overview on the Industry Initiatives included in the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), this post focuses on the use of solar energy through photovoltaic  technology for the production of electricity, and most particularly on the 2010-2012 implementation plan for the Solar Industry Initiative.

The implementation plan describes the immediate actions needed to achieve the goals set forward for 2020 in the European Commission's Photovoltaic Roadmap, namely the R&D steps required to enable rapid large-scale deployment of photovoltaics at minimum cost and maximum benefit for society.

The implementation plan identifies two major initiatives to enable the large-scale deployment of photovoltaics:

• Reducing photovoltaic electricity generation costs through technology progress, experience and economies of scale;
• Integrating photovoltaic electricity into the European Grid.

The R&D actions for Cost Reduction will focus on improving manufacturability, materials development, and enhancing performance. R&D will also be conducted to advance grid integration, large-scale grid integration analysis, and solar resources prediction and monitoring. The R&D actions will be followed by demonstration projects to enable the replication and large scale implementation of the results. These projects will include the large integration of PV in urban areas, grid integration of distributed photovoltaic power generation, and last scale demonstration of new concepts and technologies.

Besides the efforts of the photovoltaic sector, the success of the Solar Energy Industry Initiative will also depend on the Electricity Grid Initiative, as well as on the development of other technologies, such as electricity storage, electrical vehicles, demand side management and smart grids.

Although not included in the European Industrial Initiative, the need for an education and training program has been pointed as a requirement to avoid a shortage of qualified professionals, such as project engineers and installers, and to keep the leadership of the European industry. The importance of awareness and communication activities has also been recognized for the dissemination of the benefits of photovoltaics near the general public and important stakeholders, including policy-makers, utilities, architects, and the construction sector. 

Source: Solar Energy Industry Initiative 2010-2012 implementation plan.

Wind Energy Industrial Initiative for Europe

Dear Readers, I do appologize for this post's delay. I hope you will find it worthwhile.

Today's blog concerns the Wind European Industrial Initiative which integrates the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), and more specifically its 2010 – 2012 Implementation Plan. The main actions included in the Wind energy implementation plan are:

a) New turbine designs, materials and components
This implementation vector includes the establishment of a network of 5 to 10 European testing facilities, and the development of a EU's cross-industrial cooperation and demonstration programme.

b) Offshore technology
This area of intervention includes the development and testing of new structures, the automation of substructures manufacturing, and know-how intake from the oil&gas sector through the promotion of technology transfer.

c) Grid integration
Grid connection, power transmission, and secure and stable system dynamics are also major focus areas. Balancing and market operation also have a dedicated sub-programme, and potentially missing grid activities may also be considered.

d) Resource Assessment, spatial planning and social acceptance
The assessment of the Wind resource and the development of spatial planning instruments are also worthy of specific programs. The final actions address Public acceptance analysis and overarching Key Performance Indicators.

Source: 
European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Wind European Industrial Initiative, 2010 – 2012 Implementation Plan.

Bioenergy in the European Energy Technology Plan

Today’s post highlights the Industrial Bioenergy Initiative included in the European Union’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) under the slogan “Boosting the contribution of Bioenergy to the EU climate and energy ambitions”.

The term Bioenergy is used to designate the production of heat, electricity and fuels from biological resources, including dedicated crops, agricultural and forestry residues, and municipal and industrial wastes.

“The SET-Plan Bioenergy Initiative focuses on innovative value chains which are not yet commercially available, and which could bring significant contribution to the bioenergy markets by large scale deployment (large single units or larger number of smaller units), whilst complying with the sustainability requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC).” A specific complementary activity is also proposed to tackle the critical issue of biomass supply.

The Industrial Bioenergy Initiative will promote public-private partnerships to leverage financing and risk management of projects for the implementation of demonstration plants and of first commercial units of new value chains (flagship). The demonstration projects are expected to produce their first commercial contribution by 2015-2020.

Projects will be selected based on different criteria, including their innovative nature: at least one “technology brick” or the integration of “technology bricks” within the considered value chain should not have been deployed at demonstration or commercial scale before. The seven value chains listed below will be considered:

a) Thermochemical pathways

1: Synthetic liquid fuels and/or hydrocarbons and blending components through gasification.

2: Bio-methane and other bio-synthetic gaseous fuels through gasification.

3: High efficiency heat & power generation through thermochemical conversion

4: Intermediate bioenergy carriers through techniques such as pyrolysis and torrefaction

b) Biochemical pathways

5: Ethanol and higher alcohols from ligno-cellulosic feedstock through chemical and biological processes

6: Hydrocarbons through biological and/or chemical synthesis from biomass containing carbohydrates

7: Bioenergy carriers produced by micro-organisms (algae, bacteria) from CO2 and sunlight

c) Complementary measures and activities

8: Biomass feedstock for bioenergy

9: Set of activities on longer term R&D&D on emerging and innovative bioenergy value chains

Source: European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative, Implementation Plan 2010 – 2012, European Union, 2012.

European Energy Strategy

In 2010, the European Commission published the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), with the explicit objective of make low-carbon technologies affordable and competitive.

This instrument focuses on strengthening industrial participation in energy research and demonstration as a way to boost innovation and accelerate deployment of low-carbon energy technologies. The collective European approach helps to better tackle barriers and share risks.

The SET-Plan includes initiatives in the following research areas:

• Bioenergy – development of biofuels that comply with the EU sustainability criteria (Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources).
• CO2 Capture, Transport and Storage – technologies to be couple with power generation and other energy intensive industries that use fossil fuels, particularly coal and gas.
• European Electricity Grid – to further integrate national networks into a pan-European network and enable the transmission and distribution of electricity from dispersed and concentrated renewable sources (up to 35 % by 2020, and make electricity production completely decarbonised by 2050).
• Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) – development of hydrogen-supply and fuel-cell technologies for mass market introduction in 2015-2020.
• Sustainable Nuclear Initiative – intended to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of the 4^th generation nuclear reactors, based on closed fuel cycles.
• Energy Efficiency – The Smart Cities Initiative – This initiative will support regions and large cities that take pioneering measures in energy efficiency and energy production to progress towards a radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions even further than established in the EU energy and climate change policy.
• Solar Europe Initiative – focuses on photovoltaics and concentrating solar power technologies to make them more competitive and to facilitate their integration into the electricity grid.
• European Wind Initiative – aims to make wind energy more competitive, to harness the potential of offshore resources and deep waters, and to facilitate grid integration.

Also noteworthy are the creation of the SET-plan Steering Group, with representatives from the EU Member States and where Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey participate as observers, and of the European Energy Research Alliance, founded by leading European research institutes.

Source: 

The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (Set –Plan) Towards a low carbon future, European Comission, 2010

R&D, competitiveness and sustainability

Innovation is of paramount importance to increase energy-efficiency and to enable the cost-effective use of low carbon energy sources, ensuring their large-scale market penetration. In this context investing in research and development (R&D), demonstration and early deployment of technologies is vital for sustainable development, conditioning the ability of the World to limit the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the increase of the global average temperature.

It is interesting to note that several emerging economies are allocating significant shares of their GDP to research and development (R&D) of new technologies. In 2009, China allocated 48% of its GDP, India 35%, and Korea 26%. These investments have the potential to enable these developing countries to leapfrog towards a more competitive, energy-efficient, and “low carbon intensity” Economy.

In the European Union, the overall current investment in R&D represented 19% of GDP in 2009.

Full implementation of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) plan requires an additional investment in R&D and demonstration of € 50 billion over the next 10 years.

The “Stern Review” recognizes the private sector as the major driver of innovation and of the diffusion of technologies around the world. Nevertheless it stresses the role that governments can play to promote international collaboration to overcome barriers in this area, namely through co-ordination of priorities, and shared risks and rewards.

According to the “Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050”, for the EU SET plan to completely fulfill its role on the identified pathway, on average, over the coming 40 years, an additional investment of around 1.5% of EU GDP per year on top of the overall current investment is needed.

Sources:

- "A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050", European Commission, 2011;

- Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change.