The First 5 Years of Estela Report 3 Index
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The FirsT Years oF esTeLa 5 SOLAR POWER FROM EUROPE’S SUN BELT European Solar Thermal Electricity Association soLar ThermaL eLecTriciTY secTor 2007-2011: The reaL UpTake Credits A report by the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association Authors : Luis Crespo, Mariàngels Pérez Latorre, Micaela Fernández, Janis Leung, Elena Dufour, ESTELA Eduardo Garcia Iglesias, Protermosolar Editing : Mariàngels Pérez Latorre, Janis Leung, ESTELA D e s i g n : www.acg-bxl.be P h o t o s : courtesy of Members of ESTELA and Protermosolar Published in February 2012 2 European Solar Thermal inTrodUcTion Electricity Association n February 2007 the 11-MW PS10 power ESTELA commitments and activities in these 5 years focused plant in Seville, Spain, was first connected on helping to build the legal framework that will be applied to the grid. In May 2007 the 64-MW until 2020. Besides its assisting role to the European legisla- Nevada Solar One power plant was con- tive and executive Institutions - Parliament, Council, Commis- nected to the grid. These two important sion, Committee of the Regions, European Investment Bank, milestones represent the renaissance of the ESTELA has provided assessment to national authorities and Solar Thermal Electricity technologies following the long and public institutions in Europe and in other regions of the world. dark STE night since the last SEGS plant was commissioned ESTELA was also one of the main contributors in building and in California in 1991. shaping the Solar Mediterranean Plan and still continues its contribution and suggesting ways for making it happen. The European Solar Thermal Electricity Association, ESTELA, was constituted in July 2007 and since then has been devoted ESTELA has today 60 direct members representing more than to promote the deployment of STE plants in Europe. 200 companies and institutes. Three national associations are members of ESTELA: the Spanish association Protermosolar In the last 5 years, more than 1,000 MW have been con- with more than 100 members, the Italian ANEST with more nected to the grid, mainly in Spain. According to National than 30 and the French SER with around 30. ESTELA is Action Plans on Renewable Energy from Portugal, Spain, considered the authorised voice of the STE Industry sector at France, Italy Greece and Cyprus, around 7,000 MW will European level. ESTELA has recently promoted - along with be installed by 2020. the South African SASTELA and the Australian AUSTELA - a ESTELA has actively contributed to the current European world level federation of STE associations, STELA World, to Union’s regulatory framework which set the targets for 2020 have a proper platform to bring our messages to multinational and the flexible mechanisms to achieve national targets by institutions such as UN, IPCC, IEA, IRENA, among others. opening the internal market to green electricity exchanges In the following pages, progress made in these 5 years is among Members States and with Third countries. Therefore, described. ESTELA is a service oriented association: services solar power generated in STE plants located in the southern to Members, services to institutions and decision makers and European regions would reach northern and central Europe services to research and innovation institutes. Dissemination and solar electricity generated in the northern African countries of the work carried out is the purpose of this brochure reflect- would be imported if EU’s standards are applied. ing ESTELA’s activities in its first 5 years of life. This important step forward to a future renewable electricity generation system should be supported by European research Mariàngels Pérez Latorre programmes and allocations of emission rights to foster tech- Secretary General nological development and the quick cost reduction. The FirsT 5 Years oF esTeLa reporT 3 index Introduction 3 Foreword 5 ESTELA 9 The Association 9 Acting on Policy 10 Fostering Research and Innovation 16 Scientific and Technical Committee 22 Promoting - Sharing - Supporting - Disseminating 24 Solar Thermal Electricity Sector 30 STELA World 39 ESTELA Board 40 ESTELA Members 42 The Highlights: 2007-2011 44 4 Foreword Message from President José Alfonso Nebrera (2007-2010) hen in July 2007 Valeriano With fast reducing investment cost, None of this would have been possible Ruiz, representing Proter- improving efficiency (thanks to higher without the effort and the continued W mosolar, Nikolaus Benz temperatures and better materials and enthusiasm of a growing number of for Schott and myself for ACS joined components), improved storage and governments, companies and individuals. Mariàngels Pérez Latorre to incorporate hybrid configurations, and, last but not Today, thousands of people, working for ESTELA, none of us could imagine least, operational experience adding business or for innovation entities, are ac- how incredibly successful our just born further improvements on a daily basis, celerating the progress. Despite the crisis industry association would become. In solar-thermal technologies are today in most of the world’s economies, today’s these years the solar thermal electricity proven, but at the same time still have in-power politicians must understand that industry has evolved from virtually in- a tremendous potential for further costs accelerating the pace of innovation is existent to a fast-growing business with reduction as well as for better efficiency, their best contribution to the way out of new plants operating or being built in dispatchability and firmness. the crisis and for the future benefit of the every continent. people and the environment. Message from President Luis Crespo (since 2011) lectricity generation free of green- the last commercial power plant built years ago, but have been more widely house gas emissions is nowadays in California in 1991 and new ones in deployed up to now. technically possible. To make this Spain in 2007. Nowadays, a significant E We have, in front of us, an enormous scenario happen, solar thermal electricity number of new solar thermal electricity emerging market and a full range of power plants must be considered as an plants are being constructed, contracts innovation opportunities: new plant con- essential piece of the puzzle. Thanks to have been awarded and support pro- cepts, conversion cycles, working fluids, its high effectiveness and hybridization grams have already been launched in component materials, storage, hybridiza- capability of storage, solar power plants many regions of the world, like USA, tion, by-products, etc. contribute to the stability of the grid. MENA, India, South Africa, Australia, For these specific characteristics, solar etc. And Spain is continuously adding Altogether industry, research centres thermal electricity power plants will be power to the grid. and public administrations, will make the core of the electrical generation our technology become more and more STE technologies are also demonstrating system in the World’s Sunbelt countries performable and competitive in order a quick evolution in the cost learning and will extend its benefits to many to play this major role that we deserve curve and presenting an impressive long other regions. in the near future. track record. Despite the fact that the The European industry has led the ren- amount of installed power is still much aissance of the solar thermal electricity lower than the corresponding to other technology - after the break between technologies which starting earlier many The FirsT 5 Years oF esTeLa reporT 5 Valeriano Ruiz, Vice-president and 1 President of Protermosolar (2007-2011) ruth be told I feel proud to write these to this renaissance, and in stepping Tlines to mark the 5th anniversary of toward the commercialisation of con- ESTELA, as I was one of the three people centrated solar technologies. Without who signed its constituency in Brussels, any doubt, this is what is happening July 2007. now and it is the ESTELA association that is bringing them together and acts In those days it became evident to us that as the sector’s catalyst throughout the Europe, as a geographic and political continent from a central position close space, could not be absent from the move- to Europe’s political powers. ment - especially focused in Spain - toward 1 4 the construction of solar thermoelectric Challenges in the technology, commer- plants and its commercial integration cialisation, financing and even those into the electricity system in general. We of image need to be overcome in a knew how in the past various countries joint effort, and with determination, from the South of Europe (France, Italy, because overcoming them would open Portugal, and Greece) who had good the way to a sustainable energy future levels of direct solar radiation had made in the European Union. efforts in investigating these technologies. We can feel satisfied with ESTELA’s 32 5 And others, with lower levels of radiation trajectory lead by José Alfonso Nebrera, (Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany) as its first President, and Mariàngels had participated in the first pilot projects Pérez Latorre as Secretary General. in the Almeria Solar Platform during the I am convinced that its new President, first part of the eighties. Luis Crespo, will add a new impulse This made us realise that companies in to the future in which many forecasted all European countries could contribute projects will be concretised. 3 6 Nikolaus Benz, Vice-president (2007-2011) 2 hen we founded ESTELA 5 years Today ESTELA members are the leading Wago, we not even thought about companies in the world’s CSP business, forming an industry association which rap- manufacturing components and build- idly grows to more than 60 members. ing power plants in all the emerging CSP markets. This impressive membership is the evi- dence of the huge interest in CSP in CSP is not only an important contribution Europe and the progress it made. Mainly to our future energy supply; it is as well due to the project pipe line in Spain, CSP an industry success story in Europe.