Concentrated Solar Power tower at pasta plant spurs new generator design

The groundbreaking HiFlex plant in Italy will use DLR’s ceramic particle technology to hit extreme temperatures, requiring a fresh approach for steam generation. The high-temperature tower project in Italy forms a key bridge to commercial heat and power applications. (Image credit: Barilla) A concentrated solar heat (CSH) system installed in Italy next year will bring …

SOLARSCO2OL Project: The new era of Concentrated Solar Power plants

SOLARSCO2OL Project: The new era of CSP plants, more flexible, less expensive and with less water needs thanks to solar supercritical CO2 plants. Boasting an industry-driven Project Consortium made up of 15 international partners, coordinated by RINA Consulting S.p.A. and located in 6 EU countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Sweden) and 1 extra-EU country …

Innovative heat exchanger eliminates need for combustion

247Solar Inc., a spinoff of MIT, along with microturbine supplier Capstone Turbine Corporation, today announced the successful test of a revolutionary commercial turbine that can generate electricity using hot air at atmospheric pressure, without combustion. This breakthrough is made possible by an ultra-high temperature heat exchanger with technology that has its origins at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The 247Solar Heat Exchanger uses a proprietary nickel-chromium-aluminum-iron alloy engineered for sustained operation at very high temperatures. For its size, the heat exchanger is the most compact and materials-efficient in …

Concentrated Solar Power startup Heliogen scores $39 million in DOE funding

Startup founded by serial entrepreneur Bill Gross seeks to revitalize Concentrated Solar Power with sCO2 technology that lowers costs, water usage, equipment size and plant footprint — and supports industrial applications in which PV may not be able to compete. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is betting big on supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as …

Refractaris proposes the new international standard for thermal insulation in concentrated solar power

The Andalusian company Refractaris, based in Montemayor, has proposed a new international standard for thermal insulation for concentrating solar power plants for study and approval. This standard will facilitate the minimum standardization required in thermal insulation of solar thermal power plants in the world and will strengthen their development possibilities in the coming years. The …

ENEA alliance and industry for two new concentrated solar power plants in Sicily

The future of thermodynamic solar energy in Italy starts from Sicily, where it was “ideally” born with the burning mirrors of Archimedes from Syracuse. Thanks to the alliance between ENEA and the Italian industry, in fact, the first plant built in Italy that integrates concentrated solar power with photovoltaics will soon be inaugurated in Partanna …

POWERCHINA Gonghe 50 MW Concentrated Solar Power Plant Reached Full-load

The operation records show that the highest molten salt temperature at the outlet of the receiver reached 565℃, and the maximum output power of the turbine generator reached 50.12MW. All subsystems were running stably. This project is co-invested by HYDROCHINA and POWERCHINA Northwest Engineering Co., Ltd (PCNWE), and constructed by PCNWE (EPC contractor). SUPCON SOLAR …

Supcon Solar’s Delingha 50 MW Concentrated Solar Power Project breaks Monthly Output record

After steam turbine overhaul,the plant was recovered to full load operation on October 9, 2020. As of 24:00 on November 8, the total monthly output reached 18.4 GWh, which refreshed prior record in Feb, 2020 (17.17GWh), and exceeded average designed output by 6.23GWh (The plant is designed to generate 146GWh/y, i.e. 12.17GWh/month). This year, the …

Concentrated solar power prepares its resurrection in Spain after seven years in fallow

Solar thermal was the emblem of the take-off of renewables in Andalusia and the great international commitment of companies such as Abengoa, Sener or TSK. The cut that the Government of Rajoy had to apply in the premiums of renewables in 2012 – when Spain was on the verge of the rescue – short-circuited its …