Title: Solar thermal power plants for the Spanish electricity market

Authors: M. Eck, F. Rueda, S. Kronshage, C. Schillings, F. Trieb, E. Zarza

Addresses: Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt DLR, Institut fur Technische, Thermodynamik, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. ' Iberinco, Avd. de Burgos 8B, 28036 Madrid, Spain. ' Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt DLR, Institut fur Technische, Thermodynamik, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. ' Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt DLR, Institut fur Technische, Thermodynamik, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. ' Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft und Raumfahrt DLR, Institut fur Technische, Thermodynamik, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. ' CIEMAT, Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA), 04200 Tabernas/Almeria, Spain

Abstract: Solar thermal power plants are at present the cheapest technology for solar electricity production. At good sites Levelised Electricity Costs (LEC) of 11 Ct/kWh have been achieved in commercially operated power plants. Economy of scale and further technical improvements will reduce the LEC for future projects. On the 27th of March 2004 in Spain the existing feed-in-law has been modified in order to support the erection of solar thermal power plants and thus make use of the huge solar potential of Spain. A payment of approx. 21 Ct/kWh, guaranteed for the first 25 years of operation, makes the erection and operation of solar thermal power plants very profitable for possible investors on the Spanish peninsula. This paper will present the present situation in Spain and the planned power plant projects. For one specific project the set-up is presented in more detail.

Keywords: feed-in-law; solar thermal power plants; solar potential; Spain; solar energy; solar power; plant set-up; renewable energy systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2007.014732

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2007 Vol.5 No.3, pp.261 - 270

Published online: 06 Aug 2007 *

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