Following the conclusion of a three-day production and operational testing period, Abengoa Solar has begun commercial operation of a new solar thermal power plant located at the Solúcar Platform, near Seville, Spain.
Abengoa Solar is a subsidiary of Abengoa, S.A. (ABG.MC).
Over the course of the testing period, the PS20 solar power tower surpassed the predicted power output, Abengoa said.
PS20 is the world’s second power tower plant in commercial use, the company said.
Plant construction was carried out by Abener.
According to Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar, "Generating more power during production testing than the design output is indeed a significant milestone. The technological breakthroughs we have achieved, coupled with our cumulative expertise, have enabled us to take a qualitative leap forward in our power tower technology."
With a power capacity of 20 megawatts (MW), double that of the company’s first-generation PS10, the new PS20 solar power plant will produce enough clean energy to supply 10,000 homes. 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.
Abengoa currently has a presence in more than 70 countries in which it operates with its five business groups: Solar, Bioenergy, Environmental Services, Information Technologies, and Industrial Construction and Engineering.
In February, Abengoa Solar announced a contract to build a 280-MW solar thermal plant near Phoenix, Arizona.
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