PS20 solar power plant

The PS20 solar power plant (PS20) solar power plant is a solar thermal energy plant in Sanlucar la Mayor near Seville in Andalusia, Spain. It was the world's most powerful solar power tower until the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in California became operational in 2014. The 20 megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with large movable mirrors called heliostats.[1][2]

PS20 solar power plant
The PS10 Solar Power Plant in the foreground, with the PS20 in the background
Official namePlanta Solar 20 (Spanish)
CountrySpain
LocationSolar Platform, Sanlúcar la Mayor, Seville Province
Coordinates37°26′38″N 06°15′34″W
StatusOperational
Construction began2006
Commission date2009
Owner(s)Abengoa Solar
Solar farm
TypeCSP
CSP technologySolar power tower
Collectors1,255
Site resource2,012 kWh/m2/yr
Power generation
Nameplate capacity20 MW
Capacity factor27%
Annual net output48 GWh
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

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-metre-high (541 ft) tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity by a turbine generator."[3]

"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 150 MW of power, are under construction at the Solar Platform."[4]

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 agreement.[5]

See also

References
  1. "First EU Commercial Concentrating Solar Power Tower Opens in Spain". Environment News Service. 30 March 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  2. Abengoa Solar Begins Operation of World's Largest Solar Power Tower Plant Archived 2009-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Abengoa Solar puts its PS20 solar tower into operation". Spanish News. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  4. "Solar Tower, Seville, Spain". Power Technology. Net Resources International. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  5. "Planta Solar 20". Concentrating Solar Power Projects. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE). 21 April 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
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