Solar Euromed
Encyclopedia
Solar Euromed is a high technology group based in France
specialized in concentrated solar power technology.
The company provides proprietary solar thermal power systems which produce heat
for power generation and industrial applications with the built-in ability to store energy
and supply electricity
on demand, even after sunset
. Solar Euromed's solar thermal technology is based on the concept of direct steam generation
and linear Fresnel optics
and was developed together with the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission
.
and has built a recognized expertise in this emerging field :
from the sun
’s rays to heat a fluid
to high temperatures. This heat is transformed into mechanical energy
and then into electricity
. Using the sun
as a free source of energy
, structures made out of metal
and glass
and completely greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission-free, Concentrated Solar Power is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly solution to produce a clean
and renewable energy.
CSP is a proven technology and the first plants began operating in California
in the 80’s, spurred by federal and state tax incentives and mandatory long-term power purchase contracts
. A drop in fossil fuel
prices then led the federal and state governments to dismantle the policy
framework that had supported the advancement of CSP. In 2006, the market re-emerged in Spain
and the United States
, supported by changes in governmental policies favorable to renewable energies – and solar in particular. CSP uses renewable solar resource to generate electricity
while producing no GHG emissions (SOX, CO2) with large scale power capacities. CSP plants can be combined with thermal storage capacity so as to avoid intermittency
due to clouds, or to provide the grid with electricity
in the evening
, during peak hours, and throughout the night
. CSP plants can also provide power generation during off-solar hours thanks to hybridization either with gas
or biomass
. While the bulk of CSP electricity will come from large, on-grid power plants, these technologies also show significant potential for supplying other specific needs such as water desalination, off-grid power, combined heat and power generation, process heat, oil & gas pumping
, and solar fuels generation
.
that pivot to reflect
the sunlight
onto a fixed absorber tube
located at the common focal line of the reflectors. A secondary reflector enables to have a higher heat flux
and homogeneous heating of the absorber tube which can generate temperatures up to 450°C. Solar Euromed's solutions include a large scale assembly of Fresnel reflector modules working with direct steam generation at high temperature, a thermal storage capacity, a scheme of assembly enabling farming under the reflectors due to the high positioning of the structures, and the use of recyclable materials limiting waste during the dismantling and the environmental impact.
Advantages of the technology
Fresnel technology has CSP’s best land-to-electricity ratio
due to a compact design
and the usability
of space below support structures. This technology is also considered to be cheaper to implement and allows a strong construction
modularity. Fresnel system requires flat or less-shaped mirrors and facilitates Direct Steam Generation, eliminating the need for costly heat transfer fluids
and heat exchangers. Moreover, operations and maintenance
are easy, hence, the associated costs
are moderate.
Pilot Plant
In partnership
with two leading French R&D centers (CNRS and CEA
), Solar Euromed has implemented this landmark technology development into a fully instrumented MW-size pilot plant called Augustin Fresnel 1 located in the French Pyreneans.
in Corsica
, Alba Nova 1 is Solar Euromed's CSP demonstration plant for which a construction permit
was already secured for a net power output
of 12 MW producing electricity
equivalent of the consumption of 10 000 households, thus serving as a bridge between the pilot phase and the anticipated deployment in the MENA
region. It provides an optimized integration of agricultural activities under the supporting structures and a state-of-the art eco-friendly overall design
. It is the first CSP project to be authorized in France since more than 30 years and serves as a reference for the energy conversion and economic performance of Solar Euromed’s Fresnel proprietary technology. Due to its insularity
, Corsica
has specific energetic constraints to operate with limited connections to an external network, protection of environment
, fire
, and has to manage the downward looking lifecycle of two fossil-powered thermal power plants.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
specialized in concentrated solar power technology.
The company provides proprietary solar thermal power systems which produce heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
for power generation and industrial applications with the built-in ability to store energy
Energy storage
Energy storage is accomplished by devices or physical media that store some form of energy to perform some useful operation at a later time. A device that stores energy is sometimes called an accumulator....
and supply electricity
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
on demand, even after sunset
Sunset
Sunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment the trailing edge of the Sun's disk disappears below the horizon in the west...
. Solar Euromed's solar thermal technology is based on the concept of direct steam generation
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
and linear Fresnel optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
and was developed together with the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
The Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives or CEA, is a French “public establishment related to industrial and commercial activities” whose mission is to develop all applications of nuclear power, both civilian and military...
.
History
Since its inception, Solar Euromed has been an active promoter of CSP technology in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and has built a recognized expertise in this emerging field :
- In 2007, Solar Euromed developed the Solenha project ultimately classified as Seveso enabling a greater knowledge in the environmental impact assessmentEnvironmental impact assessmentAn environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
of parabolic troughSolar thermal energySolar thermal energy is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy . Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-, or high-temperature collectors. Low-temperature collectors are flat plates generally used to heat...
technology. - In 2009, the group launched its technology development plan funded by the French innovation fund Oseo and the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
which initially resulted in a Fresnel-based pilot plant located at the Themis solar energy R&D platformThemis (solar power plant)The THEMIS solar power tower is a research and development centre focused on solar energy. It is located near the village of Targassonne, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, south of France, 3 kilometres from the world's largest solar furnace in Odeillo.-Siting of the plant:THEMIS Solar...
in the Pyreneans. - In 2010, the company signed a 2 GW agreement with the Republic of SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
for the development, construction and operation of CSP plants to be implemented over the next decade. Few weeks later, Solar Euromed signed a power purchase agreementPower Purchase AgreementPower Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
for the realization of the first 250 MW. - In 2011, it secured in CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
a construction permitConstruction permitA construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
for the implementation of the largest solar thermal power plant in France set to demonstrate Solar Euromed’s proprietary Fresnel-based technology at utility scale.
Concentrated Solar Power
CSP technologies concentrate energyEnergy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
from the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
’s rays to heat a fluid
Fluid
In physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Fluids are a subset of the phases of matter and include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids....
to high temperatures. This heat is transformed into mechanical energy
Mechanical energy
In physics, mechanical energy is the sum of potential energy and kinetic energy present in the components of a mechanical system. It is the energy associated with the motion and position of an object. The law of conservation of energy states that in an isolated system that is only subject to...
and then into electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. Using the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
as a free source of energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, structures made out of metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
and completely greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
(GHG) emission-free, Concentrated Solar Power is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly solution to produce a clean
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
and renewable energy.
CSP is a proven technology and the first plants began operating in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the 80’s, spurred by federal and state tax incentives and mandatory long-term power purchase contracts
Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
. A drop in fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
prices then led the federal and state governments to dismantle the policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
framework that had supported the advancement of CSP. In 2006, the market re-emerged in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, supported by changes in governmental policies favorable to renewable energies – and solar in particular. CSP uses renewable solar resource to generate electricity
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
while producing no GHG emissions (SOX, CO2) with large scale power capacities. CSP plants can be combined with thermal storage capacity so as to avoid intermittency
Intermittency
In dynamical systems, intermittency is the irregular alternation of phases of apparently periodic and chaotic dynamics , or different forms of chaotic dynamics ....
due to clouds, or to provide the grid with electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
in the evening
Evening
Evening is the period between the late afternoon and night when daylight is decreasing, around dinner time at 6pm. Though the term is subjective, evening is typically understood to begin before sunset, during the close of the standard business day and extend until nightfall, the beginning of night...
, during peak hours, and throughout the night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
. CSP plants can also provide power generation during off-solar hours thanks to hybridization either with gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
or biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
. While the bulk of CSP electricity will come from large, on-grid power plants, these technologies also show significant potential for supplying other specific needs such as water desalination, off-grid power, combined heat and power generation, process heat, oil & gas pumping
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
, and solar fuels generation
Hydrogen economy
The hydrogen economy is a proposed system of delivering energy using hydrogen. The term hydrogen economy was coined by John Bockris during a talk he gave in 1970 at General Motors Technical Center....
.
Technology
Solar Euromed's technology use long and narrow segments of mirrorMirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
that pivot to reflect
Reflection (physics)
Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two differentmedia so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves...
the sunlight
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
onto a fixed absorber tube
Solar thermal collector
A solar thermal collector is a solar collector designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The term is applied to solar hot water panels, but may also be used to denote more complex installations such as solar parabolic, solar trough and solar towers or simpler installations such as solar air...
located at the common focal line of the reflectors. A secondary reflector enables to have a higher heat flux
Heat flux
Heat flux or thermal flux is the rate of heat energy transfer through a given surface. The SI derived unit of heat rate is joule per second, or watt. Heat flux is the heat rate per unit area. In SI units, heat flux is measured in W/m2]. Heat rate is a scalar quantity, while heat flux is a vectorial...
and homogeneous heating of the absorber tube which can generate temperatures up to 450°C. Solar Euromed's solutions include a large scale assembly of Fresnel reflector modules working with direct steam generation at high temperature, a thermal storage capacity, a scheme of assembly enabling farming under the reflectors due to the high positioning of the structures, and the use of recyclable materials limiting waste during the dismantling and the environmental impact.
Advantages of the technology
Fresnel technology has CSP’s best land-to-electricity ratio
Ratio
In mathematics, a ratio is a relationship between two numbers of the same kind , usually expressed as "a to b" or a:b, sometimes expressed arithmetically as a dimensionless quotient of the two which explicitly indicates how many times the first number contains the second In mathematics, a ratio is...
due to a compact design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and the usability
Usability
Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, or anything a human interacts with. A usability study may be conducted as a primary job function by a usability analyst or as a secondary job...
of space below support structures. This technology is also considered to be cheaper to implement and allows a strong construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
modularity. Fresnel system requires flat or less-shaped mirrors and facilitates Direct Steam Generation, eliminating the need for costly heat transfer fluids
Coolant
A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that use or dissipate it. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, and chemically inert, neither causing nor...
and heat exchangers. Moreover, operations and maintenance
Maintenance, repair, and operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
are easy, hence, the associated costs
Cost
In production, research, retail, and accounting, a cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it is counted as cost. In this...
are moderate.
Pilot Plant
In partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
with two leading French R&D centers (CNRS and CEA
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
The Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives or CEA, is a French “public establishment related to industrial and commercial activities” whose mission is to develop all applications of nuclear power, both civilian and military...
), Solar Euromed has implemented this landmark technology development into a fully instrumented MW-size pilot plant called Augustin Fresnel 1 located in the French Pyreneans.
Alba Nova 1
Located at GhisonacciaGhisonaccia
Ghisonaccia is a commune of the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Alba Nova 1 is Solar Euromed's CSP demonstration plant for which a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
was already secured for a net power output
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
of 12 MW producing electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
equivalent of the consumption of 10 000 households, thus serving as a bridge between the pilot phase and the anticipated deployment in the MENA
MENA
The term MENA, for "Middle East and North Africa", is an acronym often used in academic, military planning and business writing.The term covers an extensive region, extending from Morocco to Iran, including the majority of both the Middle Eastern and Maghreb countries...
region. It provides an optimized integration of agricultural activities under the supporting structures and a state-of-the art eco-friendly overall design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
. It is the first CSP project to be authorized in France since more than 30 years and serves as a reference for the energy conversion and economic performance of Solar Euromed’s Fresnel proprietary technology. Due to its insularity
Insularity
Insularity reflects a wide range of physical and emotional meanings in accordance with a person or place:* For a place, it relates to an island or any physically isolated place distant and inaccessible without sufficient means of transport...
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
has specific energetic constraints to operate with limited connections to an external network, protection of environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
, and has to manage the downward looking lifecycle of two fossil-powered thermal power plants.