{{Short description|Spain geography stubs}} [[File:Foto aére de solnovas y torre junio 2010.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The first three units of Solnova in the foreground, with the two towers of the PS10 and PS20 solar power stations in the background.]]

The '''Solucar Complex''' is a complex in Sanlúcar la Mayor, Spain, used primarily for solar power generation.

The complex includes: * PS10 Solar Power Plant * PS20 Solar Power Plant * Solnova Solar Power Station

==Planning== [[File:PS20andPS10.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Solar Towers from left: PS10, PS20.]] The first two power plants to be brought into operation at Sanlúcar la Mayor were the PS10, and Sevilla PV, the largest low concentration system photovoltaic plant in Europe.<ref name="First EU">{{citation |url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2007/2007-03-30-02.asp |title=First EU Commercial Concentrating Solar Power Tower Opens in Spain |publisher=Ens-newswire.com |access-date=2012-01-25}}</ref> The plants in the complex are as follows.

300 MW:<br /> Completed and operating: * PS10 (10 MW) * PS20 (20 MW) * Solnova 1 (50 MW) * Solnova 3 (50 MW) * Solnova 4 (50 MW) total: 180 MW.

Three more plants are planned: * AZ20 (20 MW) * Solnova 2 (50 MW) * Solnova 5 (50 MW) Total 120 MW.

PS20 and AZ20 are twin 20 MWe tower plants based on the same concept as PS10.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.solarpaces.org/Tasks/Task1/ps10.htm |title=SolarPACES Home Page |publisher=Solarpaces.org |access-date=2012-01-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210152851/http://www.solarpaces.org/Tasks/Task1/ps10.htm |archive-date=2012-02-10 }}</ref>

{{Clear}}

==PS10== {{Infobox power station | name = PS10 Solar Power Plant | name_official = {{lang|es|Planta Solar 10}} | image = PS10 solar power tower.jpg | image_caption = | image_alt = | coordinates_ref = | country = Spain | location = Sanlúcar la Mayor, Seville Province, Andalusia | status = Operational | construction_began = 2004 | commissioned = 30 March 2007<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/andalucia/Inaugurada/Sanlucar/planta/solar/producira/energia/abastecer/toda/Sevilla/elpepuespand/20070331elpand_5/Tes |title=Inaugurada en Sanlúcar una planta solar que producirá energía para abastecer a toda Sevilla|work= ElPaís.es|date=31 March 2007 |last1=Méndez |first1=Juan }}</ref> | decommissioned = | cost = €35 million | owner = Abengoa Solar | operator = | solar_type = CSP | solar_csp_technology = T | solar_concentration = | solar_collectors = 624 | solar_collectors_area = | solar_site_area = | solar_site_resource = 2,012 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>/yr | ps_units_manu_model = | ps_electrical_capacity = 11 MW | ps_electrical_cap_fac = 24% | ps_annual_generation = 23.4 GWh | website = }} The '''PS10 Solar Power Plant''' ({{langx|es|Planta Solar 10}}) is the world's first commercial concentrating solar power tower operating near Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. The 11&nbsp;megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with 624 large movable mirrors called heliostats.<ref name="First EU"/> It took four years to build and so far has cost €35&nbsp;million (US$46&nbsp;million).<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.electronichealing.co.uk/articles/solar_power_tower_spain.htm |title=First European Solar Power Tower |publisher=Electronic Healing |access-date=25 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005071845/http://www.electronichealing.co.uk/articles/solar_power_tower_spain.htm |archive-date=5 October 2011}}</ref> PS10 produces about 23,400&nbsp;megawatt-hours (MW·h) per year, for which it receives €271 (US$360) per MW·h under its power purchase agreement, equating to a revenue of €6.3&nbsp;million per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://solarpaces.nlr.gov/project/planta-solar-10-ps10|title=Planta Solar 10|website=Concentrating Solar Power Projects|publisher=National Laboratory of the Rockies|date=2022-10-21}}</ref>

The mirrors were delivered by Abengoa, the solar receiver was designed and built by {{lang|es|Tecnical-Tecnicas Reunidas}}, and the Solar Tower was designed and built by ALTAC, both Spanish engineering and construction companies.{{CN|date=June 2022}} Each of the mirrors has a surface measuring {{convert|120|m2|sqft}} that concentrates the sun's rays to the top of a {{Convert|115|m|abbr=on}} high, 40-story tower where a solar receiver and a steam turbine are located. The turbine drives a generator, producing electricity.<ref name="First EU"/>

The PS10 is located {{Convert|20|km|abbr=on}} west of Seville (which receives at least nine hours of sunshine 320 days per year, with 15 hours per day in mid summer). The solar receiver at the top of the tower produces saturated steam at {{Convert|257|°C|abbr=on}}. The energy conversion efficiency is approximately 17%.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science & Technology Come Alive |last=Graham-Cumming |first=John |author-link=John Graham-Cumming |year=2009 |publisher=O'Reilly Media |isbn=978-0-596-52320-6 |page=112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HhEC0q-O1ewC&pg=PA112 |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>

===Energy storage=== The PS10 solar power tower stores heat in tanks as superheated and pressurized water at 50&nbsp;bar and 285&nbsp;°C. The water evaporates and flashes back to steam, releasing energy and reducing the pressure. Storage is for 30 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_operacion/espana/PS10_la_primera_torre_comercial_del_mundo.html |title=Abengoa Solar :: Our plants :: Operating facilities :: Spain |website=www.abengoasolar.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619201634/http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_operacion/espana/PS10_la_primera_torre_comercial_del_mundo.html |archive-date=19 June 2013}} </ref> It is suggested that longer storage is possible, but that has not been proven in an existing power plant. However, there are many considerations for using molten salt as an energy storage medium due to the great capability of storing energy for long periods without substantial losses (see Concentrated solar power). Another possibility is to use a phase-change material as thermal storage where latent heat is used to store energy.

==PS20== 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&nbsp;megawatt (MW) solar power tower produces electricity with large movable mirrors called heliostats.<ref name="First EU"/><ref>[http://sev.prnewswire.com/oil-energy/20090427/DC0579027042009-1.html Abengoa Solar Begins Operation of World's Largest Solar Power Tower Plant] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618073353/http://sev.prnewswire.com/oil-energy/20090427/DC0579027042009-1.html |date=2009-06-18 }}</ref>

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 {{Convert|120|m2|ft2|abbr=on}}, reflects the solar radiation it receives onto the receiver, located on the top of a {{Convert|165|m|ft|adj=mid|-high|0}} tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity by a turbine generator."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.spanishnews.es/20090428-abengoa-solar-puts-its-ps20-solar-tower-into-operation/id=352/|title= Abengoa Solar puts its PS20 solar tower into operation|date= 28 April 2009 |work= Spanish News|access-date= 20 March 2012 }}</ref>

"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&nbsp;MW of power, are under construction at the Solar Platform."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.power-technology.com/projects/Seville-Solar-Tower/|title= Solar Tower, Seville, Spain|work= Power Technology |publisher= Net Resources International|access-date= 20 March 2012 }}</ref>

Resulting from cooperation between Ciemat, the IDAE, and the University of Seville, the whole plant is to be completed by 2013, when it will produce approximately 300&nbsp;MW – energy for around 180,000 homes, equivalent to the needs of the city of Seville. PS20 produces about 48,000&nbsp;megawatt-hours (MW·h) per year, for which it receives €271 (US$360) per MW·h under its power purchase agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=39|title= Planta Solar 20|date= 21 April 2009 |work= Concentrating Solar Power Projects|publisher= National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE)|access-date= 20 March 2012 }}</ref>

==Solnova Solar Power Station== The '''Solnova Solar Power Station''' is a large CSP power station made up of five separate units of {{nowrap|50 MW}} each. With the commissioning of the third {{nowrap|50 MW}} unit, the Solnova-IV in August 2010, the power station ranks as one of the largest CSP power stations in the world.

Solnova-I, Solnova-III, and Solnova-IV<ref name="AS4">{{cite web|title=Abengoa solar reaches total of 193 MW operating|url=https://www.power-technology.com/projects/solnova-solar-power-station/|accessdate=1 November 2010}}</ref> were commissioned in mid-2010 and are all rated at 50 MWe in installed capacity each.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} All five plants are built, owned and operated by Abengoa Solar, a Spanish solar power company.

All five power stations, the three commissioned and two under development, will be utilizing parabolic troughs, a technology to use concentrated solar power. The three commissioned power stations are also equipped to support natural gas as its secondary fuel source for power generation.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

== See also == {{stack|{{Portal|Spain|Renewable energy}}}} * List of power stations in Spain * List of solar thermal power stations * Renewable energy in the European Union * Solar power in Spain * Solar thermal energy * Abengoa Solar

==References == {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|PS10 Solar Power Plant}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110811230017/http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/sectors/doc/csp/ps10_final_report.pdf Final technical progress report], for European Union officials (November 2006) * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm Power station harnesses Sun's rays] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120210152851/http://www.solarpaces.org/Tasks/Task1/ps10.htm Description and pictures] * [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/apr/03/spain.renewableenergy Power tower reflects well on sunny Spain] * http://www.abengoasolar.com/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_operacion/espana/#seccion_1 *{{cite web|url = http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_operacion/espana/PS20_la_mayor_torre_comercial_del_mundo.html|title = PS20, the largest solar power tower worldwide|publisher = Abengoa Solar|access-date = 20 March 2012|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120621195844/http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/nuestras_plantas/plantas_en_operacion/espana/PS20_la_mayor_torre_comercial_del_mundo.html|archive-date = 21 June 2012}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061113094814/http://www.telvent.com/press/2005/Solucar_media_release_03_august_05.pdf Telvent develops control system for new solar power plants in Seville] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110811230017/http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/sectors/doc/csp/ps10_final_report.pdf Final technical progress report], for European Union officials (November 2006) *[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm Power station harnesses Sun's rays] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120210152851/http://www.solarpaces.org/Tasks/Task1/ps10.htm Description and pictures] *[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/apr/03/spain.renewableenergy Power tower reflects well on sunny Spain]

{{Solar power in Europe}} {{Energy in Spain}}

Category:Geography of the Province of Seville Category:Solar power in Spain