View source for Engineering:Andasol Solar Power Station

{{Short description|Concentrated solar thermal power station in Spain}}
{{Infobox power station
| name                = Andasol Solar Power Station
| name_official       = Central Termosolar Andasol
| image               = Andasol 5.jpg
| image_caption       = Andasol Solar Power Station
| image_alt           = 
| coordinates = 
| country             = Spain
| location            = near Guadix, Granada
| status              = O
| construction_began  = 
| commissioned        = 2009
| decommissioned      = 
| cost                = 
| owner               = Cubico Sustainable Investments (Andasol 1&2)<ref name=cubico>{{cite web
 |url=http://helioscsp.com/cubico-completes-acquisition-of-andasol-1-and-andasol-2-concentrated-solar-power-plants-in-spain/
 |title=Cubico completes acquisition of Andasol 1 and Andasol 2 concentrated solar power plants in Spain
 |date= 27 July 2017
 |website=helioscsp.com
 |publisher=Protermosolar
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731112310/http://helioscsp.com/cubico-completes-acquisition-of-andasol-1-and-andasol-2-concentrated-solar-power-plants-in-spain/
 |archive-date=31 July 2017
 |url-status=live
 |access-date=7 April 2019}}</ref><br/>Stadtwerke München<br/>MAN Ferrostaal<br/>Innogy
| operator            = 
| solar_type          = CSP
| solar_csp_technology= P
| solar_csp_collectors= 
| solar_cpvt          = 
| ps_units_manu_model = 
| ps_site_area     = {{convert|600|ha|acre|0}}
| solar_site_resource = 2,136 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>/yr<ref name=andsl1/>
| ps_electrical_capacity= 149.7
| ps_electrical_cap_fac= 37.7%<ref>[http://blog.cleantechies.com/2011/03/15/baseload-247-solar-is-here/ Baseload (24/7) Solar is here!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025005119/http://blog.cleantechies.com/2011/03/15/baseload-247-solar-is-here/ |date=2012-10-25 }}</ref>
| ps_storage_capacity    = 1,123 MW·h<sub>e</sub>
| ps_annual_generation= 495 GWh<ref name="AR2012">[http://www.swm.de/dms/swm/dokumente/unternehmen/swm/geschaeftsbericht-2012.pdf Annual report of Stadtwerke München, page 16] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127025449/http://www.swm.de/dms/swm/dokumente/unternehmen/swm/geschaeftsbericht-2012.pdf |date=2013-11-27 }}</ref>
| website             = 
| extra               = 
}}

The '''Andasol solar power station''' is a 150-megawatt (MW) [[Engineering:Concentrated solar power|concentrated solar power]] station and Europe's first commercial plant to use [[Engineering:Parabolic trough|parabolic trough]]s. It is located near Guadix in Andalusia, {{wipe|Spain}}, and its name is a portmanteau of '''Anda'''lusia and '''Sol''' (Sun in Spanish). The Andasol plant uses tanks of molten salt as [[Physics:Thermal energy storage|thermal energy storage]] to continue generating electricity, irrespective of whether the sun is shining or not.

== Description ==
Andasol is the first parabolic trough power plant in Europe, and Andasol 1 went online in March 2009. Because of the high altitude (1,100&nbsp;m) and the semi-arid climate, the site has exceptionally high annual direct insolation of 2,200&nbsp;kWh/m<sup>2</sup> per year.<ref name="flagsol">
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.flagsol.com/andasol_project_RD.htm 
 |title=AndaSol — EU Project 
 |publisher=FLAGSOL GmbH 
 |access-date=2009-03-30 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410235441/http://www.flagsol.com/andasol_project_RD.htm 
 |archive-date=10 April 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
}} 
</ref> Each plant has a gross electricity output of 50&nbsp;megawatts (MW<sub>e</sub>) and 49.9&nbsp;MW<sub>e</sub> net, producing around 165&nbsp;gigawatt-hours (GW·h) per year. The collectors installed have a combined surface area of 51&nbsp;[[Hectare|hectare]]s (equal to 70 soccer fields); it occupies about 200&nbsp;ha of land.<ref name="flagsol"/>

Andasol has a thermal storage system which absorbs part of the heat produced in the solar field during the day. This heat is then stored in a [[Chemistry:Molten salt|molten salt]] mixture of 60%&nbsp;[[Chemistry:Sodium nitrate|sodium nitrate]] and 40%&nbsp;[[Chemistry:Potassium nitrate|potassium nitrate]]. This process almost doubles the number of operational hours at the solar thermal power plant per year.<ref name=renewable061108/> Each unit fully loaded storage system holds 1,010&nbsp;MW·h<sub>t</sub> of heat, enough to run the turbine and produce electricity for about 7.5&nbsp;hours at full-load, in case of overcast skies or after sunset. The heat reservoirs each consist of two tanks measuring 14&nbsp;m in height and 36&nbsp;m in diameter and containing molten salt. Andasol&nbsp;1 is able to supply environmentally friendly solar electricity for up to 200,000 people.<ref name=renewable061108>
{{cite news
 | url= http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2008/11/andasol-1-goes-into-operation-54019
 | title= Andasol 1 Goes Into Operation
 | date= 2008-11-06
 | publisher= RenewableEnergyWorld.com
 | access-date= 2009-02-21 }}
</ref><ref name=an>
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.solarmillennium.de/upload/Download/Technologie/eng/Andasol1-3engl.pdf 
 |title=Andasol: The World's Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant Project Development in Andalucia (Spain) 
 |publisher=Solar Millennium 
 |access-date=2009-02-21 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222183058/http://www.solarmillennium.de/upload/Download/Technologie/eng/Andasol1-3engl.pdf 
 |archive-date=22 February 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
}}
</ref>

Andasol consists of 3 projects: Andasol-1<ref name=andsl1>(NREL) [http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=3 Andasol-1]</ref> (completed 2008), Andasol-2<ref name=andsl2>(NREL) [http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=4 Andasol-2]</ref> (completed 2009) and Andasol-3<ref name=andsl3>(NREL) [http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=117 Andasol-3]</ref> (completed 2011). Each project generates approximately 165 GW-h each per year (a total of 495 GW-h for all three combined).<ref name="AR2012"/> The total cost of building the three projects was estimated to €900 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.power-technology.com/projects/andasolsolarpower/|title = The Andasol Solar Power Station Project}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andasol Solar Power Station, Andalusia - Renewable Technology |url=https://www.renewable-technology.com/projects/andasol-solar-power-station-andalusia/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222205925/https://www.renewable-technology.com/projects/andasol-solar-power-station-andalusia/ |archive-date=2022-12-22 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=www.renewable-technology.com}}</ref>

== Rationale ==
Andasol&nbsp;1 cost around €300&nbsp;million (US$380&nbsp;million) to build.<ref name="sciam">{{cite web
 | url= https://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-use-solar-energy-at-night
 | title= How to Use Solar Energy at Night
 | last= Biello
 | first= David
 | date= 18 February 2009
 | work= Scientific American
 | access-date= 2009-10-18
 }} </ref> Thermal energy storage costs roughly US$50 per kWh of capacity (150&nbsp;lbs of salt per kWh at a storage temperature of 400&nbsp;°C), according to Greg Glatzmaier of the U.S. [[Organization:National Renewable Energy Laboratory|National Renewable Energy Laboratory]] (NREL), totaling about 13% of Andasol's initial cost.<ref name="sciam"/>

The developers say Andasol's electricity will cost €0.271 per [[Kilowatt-hour|kilowatt-hour]] (kW·h) to produce.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=http://social.csptoday.com/news/lower-cost-production-actually-product-andasol-1s-energy-storage 
 |title=Lower cost of production is actually a by-product of Andasol 1's energy-storage 
 |date=October 6, 2008 
 |work=CSP Today 
 |access-date=2009-10-18 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420032426/http://social.csptoday.com/news/lower-cost-production-actually-product-andasol-1s-energy-storage 
 |archive-date=2010-04-20 
}}
</ref> Under current government policy in Spain, solar-thermal electricity will receive a feed-in tariff of just under €0.27/kW·h for the next 25&nbsp;years.<ref name=an/>

Like every power plant with a thermal engine, cooling is needed for the [[Physics:Working fluid|working fluid]]. As Andasol is built in the warm middle of the south of Spain, every Andasol unit vaporizes 870.000 m³ water per year (according to the developer), or 5 L/kWh (1.3 USgal/kWh). Most power plants vaporize less water (typically less than 2.5 L/kWh), or close to none if they are cooled by river or sea water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/cooling_power_plants_inf121.html |title=Cooling power plants |access-date=2012-06-22 |archive-date=2013-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224043325/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/cooling_power_plants_inf121.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/33905.pdf Consumptive Water Use for U.S. Power Production]</ref> Although water supply is generally a problem in Spain, Andasol has ample supply due to its location near the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

== Developers Andasol 1 & 2 ==
[[File:Andasol USGS document.jpg|thumbnail|right|upright=1.6|Satellite images of the site.]]

The developer of the Andasol 1 and Andasol 2 plants are Solar Millennium (25%) and ACS Cobra (75%). After planning, engineering and construction Solar Millennium sold their shares to ACS Group.

In 2017, the two international funds, Antin Infrastructure Partners and Deutsche Asset Management's infrastructure investment business, and the Spanish construction company Cobra Sistemas y Redes, sold full ownership to Cubico Sustainable Investments Limited.<ref name=cubico/>

In 2018, the ICSID – the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes – issued a ruling that required Spain to pay €112 million to Antin Infrastructure Partners, which had claimed €218 million over the cuts to renewable energies subsidies in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.granadahoy.com/granada/Espana-indemnizara-millones-Antin-granadinas_0_1256574565.html
 |title=España indemnizará con 112 millones a Antin por dos plantas solares granadinas
 |last=Abuín
 |first=E.
 |date=21 June 2018
 |website=www.granadahoy.com
 |publisher=Joly Digital
 |language=ES
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621072447/https://www.granadahoy.com/granada/Espana-indemnizara-millones-Antin-granadinas_0_1256574565.html
 |archive-date=21 June 2018
 |url-status=live
 |access-date=7 April 2019}}</ref>

== Developers Andasol 3 ==
Andasol 3 is developed by the consortium of Solar Millennium and MAN Ferrostaal. Marquesado Solar SL is the investor consortium which is going to commission and operate Andasol 3. Shareholders of Marquesado Solar SL are:
* Stadtwerke München (48.9%)
* MAN Ferrostaal AG (26%)
* Innogy & RheinEnergie AG (25.1%)<ref name=powerengineering100609>
{{cite news
 | url= http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2009/07/andasol-3-solar-thermal-project-attracts-utility-investors.html
 | title= Andasol 3 solar thermal project attracts utility investors
 | date= 2009-06-10
 | publisher= PennWell Corporation
 | work = Power Engineering
 | access-date= 2009-08-01}}
</ref>

== See also ==
*List of solar thermal power stations
*Renewable energy in the European Union
*Sener Aeronáutica
*Solar power in Spain
*[[Physics:Solar thermal energy|Solar thermal energy]]
*Wind power in Spain

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{cite web 
 |url=http://www.solarmillennium.de/Technologie/Referenzprojekte/Andasol/Die_Andasol_Kraftwerke_entstehen_,lang2,109,155.html 
 |title=The Construction of the Andasol Power Plants 
 |publisher=Solar Millennium AG 
 |access-date=2009-02-21 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306204223/http://www.solarmillennium.de/Technologie/Referenzprojekte/Andasol/Die_Andasol_Kraftwerke_entstehen_%2Clang2%2C109%2C155.html 
 |archive-date=6 March 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |df=dmy-all 
 }} Includes link to video.
*{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pdfs/2007/martin_andasol_pictures_storage.pdf
 |title       = Andasol 1 & 2
 |date        = 8 March 2007
 |work        = NREL Trough Technology Workshop
 |publisher   = SENER Ingenieríay Sistemas, S.A.; U.S. [[Organization:National Renewable Energy Laboratory|National Renewable Energy Laboratory]] (NREL)
 |access-date  = 2009-02-21
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090205235753/http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pdfs/2007/martin_andasol_pictures_storage.pdf
 |archive-date = 5 February 2009
 |url-status     = dead
}}


[[Category:Solar thermal energy]]

{{Sourceattribution|Andasol Solar Power Station}}