The German Aerospace Center (DLR, Köln, Germany) has announced that the first solar power tower concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in North Africa will be built in Boughezoul, Algeria, though a collaboration between Algeria and Germany.

The hybrid plant will incorporate both CSP and natural gas generation, including 7 MW of solar power, and will be able to function on solar power alone. DLR will supply technology that it has developed for the project, which will serve primarily as a pilot and research facility.

"We are delighted to be able to further develop relations between Algeria and Germany in respect of environmental technologies and renewable energies through this project," stated the German ambassador to Algeria, Götz Lingenthal.

BMU to contribute USD 9 million towards project

Ambassador Lingenthal signed a declaration of intent to promote and support the project at the EnviroAlgérie trade fair in Oran, Algeria.

The German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will collaborate on the project. BMU will contribute up to EUR 7 million (USD 9 million) towards the construction of the plant and a renewable energy test center.

Project to use DLR receiver technology

The project will use a high-temperature receiver which can operate at temperatures up to 700 degrees Centigrade, designed and tested by DLR. The receiver is currently in use at the Jülich CSP plant in Jülich, Germany, which is owned by DLR.

2012-10-30 | Courtesy: DLR | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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