Torresol Energy paved the way for the development of a new generation of CSP technology, when the Gemasolar thermosolar project became the first commercial-scale plant in the world to apply central tower receiver and molten salt heat storage technology. The relevance of this plant lies in its technological uniqueness with up to 15 hours of thermal storage and operational temperatures above 500°C, that lead to Gemasolar becoming the first CSP plant to operate successfully for a full 24 hours.
The plants ability to prolong operating hours in the absence of solar radiation means that Torresol Energy can guarantee electrical production for a minimum of 270 days per year, up to three times more than other renewable energies.
CSP Today are delighted to announce that Torresol Energy will present a unique case study on Gemasolar at the 3rd CSP Today India Summit 2012, taking place in New Delhi on 14-15 March. This presentation will compare and contrast capacity expectations and reliability forecasts to see how a similar plant could perform in India.
From the geographical perspective India is one of the most exciting emerging markets for CSP and with parabolic trough technology being the dominant choice for existing projects; Torresol Energy will highlight the advantages of using central tower receivers in this region.
As well as Gemasolar, Torresol Energy is the developer of Valle I & II in the Cádiz province of Spain, two plants that use parabolic collector technology and have an annual output of 170 GWh. At the 3rd CSP Today India Summit the Operations Director of Torresol Energy, Santiago Arias, will be discussing the critical lessons learned from Gemasolar and Valle I & II. Arias will demonstrate how effective design, engineering and construction strategies led to streamlined construction and reduced costs, to show how Indian developers can learn from these lessons to optimize current projects in India.
When questioned on the announcement, event organizer Jack Ahearne explained that European success stories would be invaluable to the development of CSP in India. “I am really pleased to be able to add such an experienced project developer to the agenda for the CSP India Summit”, said Ahearne. “Getting the opportunity to hear actual experience from an operational CSP plant will provide critical lessons for the Indian CSP community, lessons that I hope can help power existing projects forward”.
