World's Largest Solar Power Tower Plant Begins Operating in Spain
Following the conclusion of the successful three-day production and
operational testing period, Abengoa Solar has begun commercial operation of
the new PS20 solar power tower plant located at the Solucar Platform, near
Seville (Spain). Over the course of the testing period, PS20 surpassed the
predicted power output, thus further validating the high potential of power
tower technology. With a power capacity of 20 megawatts, double that of PS10, the new PS20 solar power plant will produce enough clean energy to supply 10,000 homes, and will avoid the emission of approximately 12,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere that a conventional power plant would have produced. PS20 consists of a solar field made up of 1,255 mirrored heliostats designed by Abengoa Solar. Each heliostat, with a surface area of 1,291 square feet, reflects the solar radiation it receives onto the receiver, located on the top of a 531 feet-high tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity generation by a turbine. This article is reproduced with kind permission of the Green Progress. For more news and articles, visit www.greenprogress.com.
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