Puerto Errado 2 (PE2, Calasparra, Spain), the 30 MW solar thermal power station built by Novatec Solar GmbH (Karlsruhe, Germany) using its proprietary solar field technology, has been completed and is in operation.

PE2’s solar boiler includes a mirror surface of 302,000qm making it the world’s largest operational solar thermal power station based on linear Fresnel collector technology, Novatec Solar emphasizes.

Solar energy powers two 15 MW turbine generator units

The PE2 solar boiler consists of 28 rows of linear Fresnel reflectors, each approximately 950 meters long. The mirrors, which are installed approximately one meter above ground, reflect the sunlight onto a receiver located eight meters above the ground.

Sunlight heats up the water in the receiver and turns it to steam, which powers two 15 MW turbine generator units. The plant is connected to the Spanish electricity grid. Air-cooled condensers are used to re-circulate water back to the solar boiler in order to conserve valuable water in this arid region. Mirror cleaning is performed by automated cleaning robots that use very little water.

Clean energy for 12,000 Spanish households

PE2’s 30 MW electrical output is generated exclusively by solar power and will produce approximately 50 million kW hours of electricity per year. Annually, this equates to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of over 16,000 metric tonnes and enough clean energy to power 12,000 Spanish households.

Novatec Solar was the EPC contractor for the project and was responsible for the construction and commissioning of PE2. The Spanish UTE Errado PE2, a TSK and OHL joint venture, built the balance of plant.

The project company Tubo Sol PE2, S.L. is owned by the Swiss utilities Elektra Baselland (51%), Industrielle Werke Basel (12%), Elektrizitätswerke der Stadt Zürich (10%), Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich (6%), Energie Wasser Bern (6%) and Novatec Solar (15%).

PE2 will operate under the Spanish feed-in tariff system

A consortium of Bayerische Landesbank, Commerzbank and Rabobank arranged PE2’s limited recourse project finance debt funding in May 2011 which included export credit insurance provided by Euler Hermes.

The plant is registered under the “Special Regime” established by the Spanish Royal Decree RD 661/2007 and will operate under the Spanish feed-in tariff system.

“The successful commissioning of PE2 is a major milestone for Novatec Solar,” says Guido Belgiorno-Nettis AM, Chairman of the Shareholders Committee of Novatec Solar.

“It confirms the reliability, competitiveness and scalability of our Fresnel technology. In partnership with ABB, we look forward to continuing to introduce our solar boiler technology into our target markets.”

2012-10-08 | Courtesy: Novatec Solar | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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