Benjamin Strauss here, this craziness in Spain produces electricity even at night!!
Gemasolar is 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, since it opens up the way for new thermosolar
electrical generation technology.
Characteristics of Gemasolar:
- Rated electrical power: 19.9 MW
- Net electrical production expected: 110 GWh/year
- Solar field: 2,650 heliostats on 185 hectares
- Heat storage system: the molten salt storage tank permits independent electrical generation for up to 15 hours without any solar feed.
The
prolongation of the plant's operating time in the absence of solar
radiation and the improvement in efficiency of the use of the heat from
the sun makes Gemasolar's output much higher than that which is
delivered by other technologies in a facility with the same power.
The
notable increase in the plant's power efficiency guarantees electrical
production for 6,500 hours a year, 1.5 to 3 times more than other
renewable energies. The plant will thus supply clean, safe power to
25,000 homes and reduce atmospheric CO
2 emissions by more than 30,000 tons a year.
The
power generated by Gemasolar will be sent through a high-tension line
to the substation of Villanueva del Rey (Andalusia, Spain), where it
will be injected into the grid.
Central tower technology:
The inclusion of a novel
molten-salt heat storage system permits the production of electricity in
the absence of solar radiation.
The heat collected by the salts
(capable of reaching temperatures above 500ยบ) generates steam and
produces electrical power. The surplus heat accumulated during sun hours
is stored in the molten-salt tank.
In this way, Gemasolar can produce electrical power 24 hours a day for many months of the year.
Related image: (Click here to watch the enlarged image