MAY 09

Acciona Energy, an alternative energy company based out of Spain, can boast about its reputation for building clean technologies, and lots of them. They are the world leader in wind power, totalling 5,300MW in 192 separate wind parks, and built the first modern concentrating solar plant in the US, the Nevada Solar One (pictured above), to date the 3rd largest in the world, and they keep expanding. They announced today that they are planning on building 2 solar thermal plants in Cordoba, Spain, each with a capacity of 50MW, entering into service in 2010, and costing 500 million euros (roughly $850 million). The two facilities will produce an amazing 224 million KWh per year, the equivalent of 75,000 homes.

"A fluid (oil) runs through these tubes that reaches a very high temperature (400º C). This fluid is sent from the solar field to the power unit where the heat is transferred to a heat exchanger, through which water runs that turns into steam. The steam is taken to a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. Following its transformation to high voltage it will be evacuated to the grid through a substation at Villanueva del Rey (in the municipality of Écija)."

Thermal solar power plants have the advantage of producing their peak power during the hottest part of the day, when demand for electricity is generally the highest. The disadvantage, however, is that it cannot actively produce energy during the night and must rely on passive heat remaining in the system, or stored energy which can be released (underground compressed air storage, stored energy flywheels, etc.)

via Ecolectic.org

Comments (8)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Wow
written by BBM, May 09, 2008

If I read that right, those plants cost ten times as much as a coal plant to build. Is that right? Or is the output 500MW instead of 50MW?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

....I'm confused
written by Ataraxia, May 09, 2008

I don't understand something, this is all about alternative energy but it burns oil?

...?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

In response
written by Jozef, May 10, 2008

Hey guys, to BBM first, it is 50MW, not 500MW, so $8 million per MW. Don't forget, once you've purchased it, you need no fuel, no coal, free energy that lasts indefinitely.

To Ataraxia; doesn't burn oil, the mirrors just focus light, therefore heat, on a closed system oil device, attached to pipes. It heats the oil, it circulates, and then the heat is exchanged and heats water, producing steam, etc.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ataraxia, May 10, 2008

So the oil is reused... forever?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Huh
written by David Ahlport, May 11, 2008

Something must be wrong.

Acciona: $850Million : 50MW : $17000/kW
Nevada1: $250Million : 64MW : $3900/kW
http://www.news.com/Solar-thermal-energy-making-a-comeback/2100-11392_3-6189468.html

What gives?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Ev, May 11, 2008

Ataraxia, the oil is used to conduct heat the same way water is used to cool your car engine. It is a closed loop process and the oil never burns. So yes, it is reused forever.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Jozef, May 11, 2008

David,

the $800 million is for 2 50 MW sites, so for 100MW... i.e. $8,000 per MW. Why the different in cost? Could be because the Mojave region is flat, there may be some landscaping (if minimal) needed in Spain, and the Nevada One site is leased (substantially bringing down cost), whereas the Spanish project may be wholly owned.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Lot of profit for the builders
written by Dan, May 23, 2008

it cost 1USD per 1Watt of photovoltaic cell, so 1 mil USd per 1MW plus the wiring and the invertors , say 1.5 mil USd per 1 MW , the rest is profit.
These guys build with microturbines, very difficult and some maintenance worked required.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment