The Planta Solar 20 (PS20) THERMAL SOLAR TOWER is a solar thermal energy plant in Sanlucar la Mayor near Seville in Spain
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."[4] "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."[5] 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 300 MW – energy for around 180,000 homes, equivalent to the needs of the city of Seville. PS20 produces about 48,000 megawatt-hours (MW·h) per year, for which it receives €271 (US$360) per MW·h under its power purchase
Size: 3669px × 5504px
Location: Sanlucar san Mayor , Seville , Spain
Photo credit: © Steve Morgan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: andalucia, carbon, change, climate, efficiency, electricity, energy, free, heliostats, innovation, neutral, plant, power, renewable, solar, spain, station, sunflowers, sustainable, thermal, tower, towers
