Solar Thermal Power Plants
New CSP-ERANET projects launched with German participation

Globally connected research for continuously optimizing solar thermal power plant technology, that is the goal of the CSP-ERANET network. The German Aerospace Center and German companies are partners in two new research projects.

Generating electricity from solar energy, solar thermal power plants are a climate-friendly alternative to conventional power plants in sunny regions of the world. The aim is to make the plants even more efficient and robust, while at the same time reducing operating costs. In order to finance concentrated solar power (CSP) research in a strategically sensible bundle, various European countries and regions have therefore created financing synergies with CSP-ERANET. Within the framework of a so-called Additional Call, four new research projects including two consortia with German participation have recently been launched.

In the focus of the international CSP research community: molten salts

Seven partners from Spain, Portugal and Germany are cooperating in the ADVIAMOS project. Scientists are concentrating on issues relating to the use of molten salts as a heat storage or heat transfer medium. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the company Steinmüller Engineering are also involved. DLR is coordinating the international research project. It is also looking into the physical properties of new salt mixtures and possible processing measures for used salt melts. Steinmüller Engineering determines and analyzes the power consumption and maintenance requirements of the steam generator and then evaluates the data with a view to possible cost reductions.

LEIA is an international joint project in which DLR is also involved. In addition to four Spanish partners from research and industry, the company CSP Services is involved as the second German partner. The aim of the project is to improve the control, operation and maintenance of solar tower power plants with liquid salt technology and to test the innovations on a commercial plant. The tasks of the German partners include smart calibration, monitoring and characterization of heliostat fields and the development of methods to measure receiver temperature and emissivity as well as flux density distribution. Furthermore, solutions for smart energy management are intended to be found. (it)