PS20 solar power plant

PS20 solar power plant

The PS10 Solar Power Plant in the foreground, with the PS20 in the background.
Location of PS20 solar power plant
Official name Planta Solar 20 (Spanish)
Country Spain
Location Solar Platform, Seville
Coordinates
Status Operational
Construction began 2006
Commission date 2009
Owner(s) Abengoa Solar
Solar farm information
Type CSP
CSP technology Solar power tower
Heliostats 1,255
Power generation information
Installed capacity 20 MW

The Planta Solar 20 (PS20) solar power plant is a solar thermal energy plant in Sanlucar la Mayor near Seville in Andalusia, Spain. It is the world's most powerful solar power tower.[1] The 20 megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with large movable mirrors called heliostats.[2][3]

Construction of PS20 was started in 2006 and it commenced operation in 2009. It features several significant technological improvements over the earlier PS10. These include a receiver with higher efficiency, various improvements in the control and operational systems, and a better thermal energy storage system.

"PS20 consists of a solar field of 1,255 mirrored heliostats designed by Abengoa Solar. Each heliostat, with a surface area of 120 m2 (1,300 sq ft), reflects the solar radiation it receives onto the receiver, located on the top of a 165 m (541 ft) high tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity by a turbine generator."[1]

"The remaining power plants will be built over the next few years. They will include low- and high-concentration photovoltaic, tower thermoelectric, parabolic-trough collector and Stirling dish plants. Abengoa Solar's parabolic trough plants, Solnova 1, 3 and 4, which can generate 150MW of power, are under construction at the Solar Platform."[2]

Resulting from cooperation between Ciemat, the IDEA, and the University of Seville, the whole plant is to be completed by 2013, when it will produce approximately 300MW – energy for around 180,000 homes, equivalent to the needs of the city of Seville.

See also

References

External links