CSP Today - Emerging Markets

Weekly Intelligence Brief: January 23 - 30

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:25:04 +0000

Précis:

This week’s CSP Today news brief includes Spain's suspension of RE FITs; Nur Energie, Top Oilfield Services; Masdar, Energy Technology Partnership; Wind Prospect CWP, Areva, CS Energy, FK Gardner; Siemens Energy, Godawari Green Energy, Corporate Ispat Alloys, Lanco Solar Energy; Torresol Energy.

Spain suspends renewable energy FIT

Spain’s government has issued a Royal Decree to temporarily suspend feed-in tariffs for renewable energy generating facilities including wind, photovoltaic, solar thermal, biomass, cogeneration, hydro and biogas.

The latest Royal Decree is not retroactive and does not affect projects that have already secured feed-in tariffs. It does, however, affect all projects that have not yet been entered in Spain’s register of renewable energy and cogeneration projects as of the date the decree was approved.

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Golden opportunity to visit Shams 1 and Masdar City in May

Beatriz Gonzalez — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:50:16 +0000

Précis:

CSP Today, PV Insider and Masdar are pleased to announce that delegates at MENASOL 2012 (16-17 May, Abu Dhabi) will have the unique opportunity to visit the CSP plant Shams 1 & Masdar City’s 10MW PV Plant.

Shams 1 is being constructed in Madinat Zayed in the western region of Abu Dhabi. At 65 per cent completion, the plant is expected to go into commissioning towards the end of the year. With an operational capacity of 100MW, it will rank amongst the largest parabolic trough power stations in the world.

The station will consist of 258,048 parabolic trough mirrors, 192 solar collector assembly loops with 8 solar collector assemblies per loop, 768 solar collector assembly units, and 27,648 absorber pipes.

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MENASOL 2012

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Weekly Intelligence Brief: February 13 - 20

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:57:49 +0000

Précis:

This week’s CSP Today news brief includes the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association; California Energy Commission, Hidden Hills Solar, BrightSource Energy; Flowserve, Cobra Thermosolar Plants, Cobra Group, Tonopah Solar Energy, SolarReserve; Ventizz, Rioglass Solar, Abengoa, Partners Group.

Spain: ESTELA warns of roadblocks for solar thermal industry

Europe faces renewable energy grid capacity, financing and R&D challenges between 2014-2020, according to the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA). The industry association has stressed that more research and innovation must be carried out on partnership basis between research institutions/industry, if Europe is to maintain its current leadership position in renewable energies.

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Creative project finance: South Africa’s unique funding package

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:24:10 +0000

Précis:

South Africa's first concentrated solar power deal has re-written the book on local energy project finance.

By Tom Nevin in Johannesburg

South Africa will make its first foray into concentrated solar power (CSP) when Abengoa’s groundbreaking tower and parabolic trough installations come online in 2014.

The deal struck between Spanish solar company Abengoa and the South African government’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) entails a 51%-49% shareholding in favour of the Spaniards; the IDC’s 49% includes 29% direct equity with a 20% stake to be held in preferences shares for local communities.

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CSP Today India 2012

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CSP South Africa: All eyes on Abengoa

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:13:27 +0000

Précis:

South Africa’s government may hold back on further CSP allocations until the technology’s performance is proven on South African turf. Tom Nevin in Johannesburg reports.

The inclusion of 200MW of concentrated solar power in the first round of the South African energy department’s 2010 Integrated Resources Plan could be intepreted as both good news and bad for the concentrated solar power community.

The 20-year plan was designed to achieve the optimal mix of supply-side resources and demand-side management to meet electricity distribution needs. When it was first drafted concentrated solar power (CSP) technology was the ‘in-flavour’ and seemed destined for favourable treatement in the final report.

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MENASOL 2012

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ABB and Novatec Solar to enter South African CSP market

Beatriz Gonzalez — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:10:42 +0000

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High-efficiency CSP plants to boost renewable and help diversify energy mix

Zurich, Switzerland, Feb. 8, 2012 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has signed an agreement with FG Emvelo, an independent solar power plant company, to develop highefficiency concentrating solar power (CSP) plants at Karoshoek Solar Valley in Northern Cape province, South Africa.

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Australia: Solar Flagships extends deadline, re-opens bidding

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:27:04 +0000

Précis:

The Australian government has given the Areva-led Solar Dawn project a six month reprieve, and has re-opened bidding for the PV portion of its national solar program.

By Giles Parkinson in New South Wales

The Solar Dawn consortium proposing to build a 250MW solar thermal plant in south-west Queensland as part of Australia’s Solar Flagships program has won a six month extension to its contract after initially failing to gain finance for the project.

Solar Dawn is led by the French nuclear energy giant Areva, which is looking to deploy the Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology it bought from Ausra in 2010.

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Webinar – CSP & PV market prospects in the MENA region

Belén Gallego — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:29:37 +0000

Précis:

CSP Today have released details of their hotly anticipated free webinar looking at the potential for CSP & PV technology to take off in the MENA regional markets, taking place Thursday 16th February.

The knock-on effects of the economic downturn are rippling across the more mature solar markets with shrinking government incentives, restricted access to capital, and the continuous increase in competition from abroad. Whilst established solar mainstays continue to suffer, support for solar energy across the MENA region is gathering pace. MENA solar could be next in line to fill the supply/demand gap that Europe can no longer meet, and many GCC countries have made clear commitments to increase the level of solar developments within their energy mix.

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Primary Event:

MENASOL 2012

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Solarlite: Powering up Southeast Asian CSP

Rikki Stancich — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:34:41 +0000

Précis:

Solarlite’s founder and CEO, Joachim Krüger, talks CSP Today through the company’s cost-busting direct steam generation technology, its biomass hybrid application, and its strategy to build a 14 further plants in Thailand.

Interview by Rikki Stancich

German concentrated solar power technology provider, Solarlite, set a precedent last month as the world's first direct steam generation parabolic trough plant to supply 5 MW of electrical power to Thailand's public power network.

The development marks a major milestone for the concentrated solar power (CSP) sector. With direct steam generation, the solar radiation heats water directly in an absorber tube, which produces the steam required to power the turbine.

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TSE1 is the first of 15 CSP DSG parabolic trough plants be built in Thailand

South Africa: Solar investment appeal

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:05:26 +0000

Précis:

The recent increase in South Africa’s power tariffs, together with greater policy and regulatory certainty has made the country a more attractive renewable energy investment prospect than ever.

By Annabel Eaton in Cape Town

Independent Power Producers (IPPs), both in Europe and on the greater African continent, are clamouring to enter the next big CSP market. For its part, South Africa’s government is energetically encouraging external investment into its local renewable energy industry.

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Flabeg takes part in CSP Today South Africa 2012

Beatriz Gonzalez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:57:55 +0000

Précis:

With more than 40 years of experience in solar thermal power plant technology and a wealth of experience covering 130 years in glass refinement, FLABEG is the expert when it comes to mirrors for solar power plants.

FLABEG participates as exhibitor at the 1st CSP Today South Africa event in Johannesburg (7-8 February)

FLABEG has installed almost six million solar mirrors for CSP projects all over the world. Some of these mirrors have been in operation for 30 years, full evidence of the permanent performance and durability of FLABEG mirrors. With numerous projects in Spain, the USA, Egypt and Abu Dhabi and a total of 1.8 GW, FLABEG is now the international market leader for solar mirrors.

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Rajasthan: bid process draws to close

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:07:20 +0000

Précis:

Rajasthan's bid process for 200MW of solar projects has been extended from January 30th to February 15th. How much closer will this bid round bring the state to its vision of powering India on desert sun?

By T.C. Maholtra in New Delhi

Last month the western Indian state of Rajasthan initiated a bid process for 200 MW of solar power projects. The 200MW capacity at stake is divided equally between concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) and photovoltaic solar energy (PV).

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CSP Today India 2012

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Webinar – Phase I JNNSM and the future of Indian CSP

Beatriz Gonzalez — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:47:04 +0000

Précis:

CSP Today have released details of their hotly anticipated free webinar looking at the impact of phase I of the national solar mission on future market growth in India, taking place Wednesday 1st February

As we move into 2012 the progress made in phase I of India’s National Solar Mission has been a subject of widespread debate, leaving many industry experts questioning the future of concentrated solar power in India. While many are quick to point out that projects must begin construction if they are to meet their 2013 completion deadline, others have seen the continued growth in capacity as a sure sign that CSP will remain a dominant part of India’s renewable energy programme.

Primary Event:

CSP Today India 2012

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Rioglass Solar mirrors take part in CSP Today South Africa 2012

Beatriz Gonzalez — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:22:24 +0000

Précis:

Rioglass Solar, the first manufacturer to offer full tempered safety glass mirrors for solar applications, will introduce its high quality mirrors to the attendants to the CSP-Today Conference in Johannesburg next February.

The glass mirrors developed and produced by Rioglass Solar, are the best choice to increase energy production of the solar field and overall profitability, allowing the operator of the solar power plant to take advantage of the outstanding solar irradiation available in South Africa.

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Grenatec: Switching on a pan-Asian electricity market

Rikki Stancich — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:53:19 +0000

Précis:

Stewart Taggart, founder of the Asia energy research organisation, Grenatec, and co-founder of Desertec, explains why Asia can only benefit from a single electricity market.

By Stewart Taggart

Analysts, such as those cited in last week’s article, Grenatec: Challenges facing the Asian Desertec bring up well-worn points to discount the viability of a pan-Asian electricity market.

The article notes: "Some have raised doubts over getting more than one country on board for energy policy. There are reasons why countries in Asia, or elsewhere for that matter, might not want to exchange energy beyond their borders."

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CSP Today India 2012

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Stewart Taggert defends the Grenatec vision

What’s in store for CSP in 2012?

Beatriz Gonzalez — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:39:53 +0000

Précis:

The flurry of activity seen in the last 6 months demonstrates that CSP is a young but rapidly-evolving industry. In the second half of 2011 several plants were connected to the grid, new projects were announced and substantial projects were cancelled.

So, what´s in store for the CSP industry in 2012?

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Tapping into a lucrative South African solar market

Belén Gallego — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:37:13 +0000

Précis:

After a long period, South Africa’s renewable energy sector has received a solar powered shot in the arm. In what local bankers are calling the most exciting time in project finance for a decade, multiple new solar and wind developments valued at R50 billion ($6 billion) are going forward.

London, CSP Today

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Gemasolar to tower over New Delhi

Beatriz Gonzalez — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:52:27 +0000

Précis:

Torresol Energy will present the critical lessons learned from Gemasolar to the Indian CSP community

Torresol Energy paved the way for the development of a new generation of CSP technology, when the Gemasolar thermosolar project became the first commercial-scale plant in the world to apply central tower receiver and molten salt heat storage technology. The relevance of this plant lies in its technological uniqueness with up to 15 hours of thermal storage and operational temperatures above 500°C, that lead to Gemasolar becoming the first CSP plant to operate successfully for a full 24 hours.

Primary Event:

CSP Today India 2012

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Grenatec: Challenges facing the Asian Desertec

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:25:38 +0000

Précis:

One of Desertec’s founders has an even more ambitious interconnection plan for Asia. Are its chances any better than those of its North African cousin?

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

Remember Desertec? While the North Africa-Southern Europe grid interconnection and energy exchange concept still seems almost as far from reality as it did a few years ago, one of its founders now hopes for success with an even grander plan, spanning Asia and Australia.

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CSP Today India 2012

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Grenatec's vision: By 2050, Asia will have a single electricity market steered by carbon-adjusted pricing

Shams1: No slip ups, contends Masdar

Rikki Stancich — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:20:11 +0000

Précis:

Responding to speculation surrounding Masdar’s Shams1 project since it incurred delays back in 2009, Masdar Power’s head of engineering, Dr Olaf Goebel, speaks exclusively to CSP Today to set the record straight.

Interview by Rikki Stancich

CSP Today: Masdar Power refutes claims in the international press that its Shams1 project was temporarily withdrawn, re-located and re-tendered back in 2009. Now it denies that incorrect estimates of the project site’s DNI were taken. What are the facts, according to Masdar?

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Shams1 is schedued to come online at the end of the year

South Africa: Coming up aces for Abengoa

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:47:38 +0000

Précis:

Abengoa’s plans for multiple plants at its Khi Solar and Kaxu Solar sites are a sign of bigger things to come in South Africa.

By Annabel Eaton in Cape Town

Months of anticipation regarding South Africa’s competitive bidding process culminated with the official announcement of the country’s first 28 renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) preferred bidders in early December at COP 17, the United Nation’s climate summit. These bidders now have until June 2012 to take their projects to financial closure, with construction to begin shortly thereafter.

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MENASOL 2012

Beatriz Gonzalez — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:45:49 +0000

Event Date:

Wed, 2012-05-16 - Thu, 2012-05-17

Event URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/solar-conference/index.php

Event Location:

Abu Dhabi

Number of attendees:

300

Programme URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/solar-conference/conference-agenda.php

Brochure URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/solar-conference/conference-event-brochure.php

Speakers URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/solar-conference/conference-speakers.php

Event Organiser:

Max Crompton

Event Organiser E-mail:

max@csptoday.com

Précis:

Now in its 4th edition and expecting 300+ participants, this conference looks at both CSP and PV in the MENA region with high level participation from regional Government Ministries (and meetings available with them), global and local Developers and EPCs, and the entire value chain within the region

CSP Today USA 2012

Beatriz Gonzalez — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:40:42 +0000

Event Date:

Tue, 2012-06-26 - Wed, 2012-06-27

Event URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/usa/

Event Location:

Las Vegas, USA

Number of attendees:

700

Programme URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/usa/conference-agenda.php

Brochure URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/usa/conference-event-brochure.php

Speakers URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/usa/conference-speakers.php

Event Organiser:

Heidi Hafes

Event Organiser E-mail:

heidi@csptoday.com

Précis:

CSP's Strategy Planning Meeting: Take CSP’s case to the end user & drive the industry to competitiveness in 2012

DNI: Measuring bang for your buck

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:30:28 +0000

Précis:

Accurate DNI measures can make a big difference to CSP financials. Get your sunshine stats wrong and you could get burnt.

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

What happened at Shams 1 would nowadays probably be classified as a schoolboy error. Last year, the CSP plant’s owner, Masdar, confessed that it had overestimated how much sunlight would reach the parabolic trough field. It had not factored in the amount of dust in the air.

“The Shams original estimate was based on satellite data and was off by more than 10%,” says Marcel Suri, managing director of GeoModel Solar, a solar resource consultancy.

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Solar slip-ups: Shams 1

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:12:10 +0000

Précis:

In new terrain, where dust can weaken solar insolation by as much as 30%, Masdar’s Shams 1 was bound to face some hurdles. CSP Today investigates what went wrong.

By Heba Hashem

The Abu Dhabi-based Shams 1 project is the region’s biggest solar plant under development and when completed next year will be one of the world’s largest. But getting it off the ground was not as straightforward as anticipated.

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China: ISCC smoothes the way for CSP

Rikki Stancich — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:27:53 +0000

Précis:

Latest ISCC project in China elicits nod of approval from Beijing

By Paul French in Shanghai

China’s Hanas New Energy Group (also known as Ningxia East Thermal Power Co. Ltd.) recently announced that it has begun construction on a concentrated solar power (CSP) project in Gaoshawo town, Yanchi County, Ningxia province in northwest China.

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CSP Today India 2012

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ISCC could help China take significant steps in reducing emissions and increasing energy independence

MENA: CSP markets gain momentum

Rikki Stancich — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:22:57 +0000

Précis:

CSP Today’s MENA correspondent, Heba Hasham, provides a round-up of CSP projects, innovation and policy in the Middle East and North Africa.

By Heba Hashem in Dubai

As the blistering heat of summer wanes, the drive for solar energy is picking pace in the Arab world. Previously uninvolved GCC nations are now giving CSP second thoughts, while others are examining the feasibility of combining it with desalination. Most of all, governments are finally turning their attention to the long-awaited case of subsidies.

New player emerges

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CSP Today India 2012

Beatriz Gonzalez — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:50:17 +0000

Event Date:

Wed, 2012-03-14 - Thu, 2012-03-15

Event URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/india/

Event Location:

New Delhi, India

Number of attendees:

300

Programme URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/india/agenda.php

Brochure URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/india/download-brochure.php

Speakers URL:

http://www.csptoday.com/india/speakers.php

Event Organiser:

Jack Ahearne

Event Organiser E-mail:

jack@csptoday.com

Précis:

Act now! Build a profitable CSP plant and create a viable business in India, on time & on budget

Aalborg CSP delivers the steam generator for the first 50MW CSP plant in India

Beatriz Gonzalez — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:07:11 +0000

Précis:

In cooperation with the Japanese trading company Sojitz, Aalborg CSP decided in spring 2011 to enter the Indian CSP market.

With Aalborg CSP's experience in designing and delivering large scale steam generators for the European market and Sojitz Corporation's unique knowledge of the trading industry, combined with their rich experience and great achievements within the Republic of India, the ambition is to become a key player in supplying steam generator solutions for CSP-plants in India.

The Godawari project

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Primary Event:

CSP Today India 2012

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Winners of the International CSP Today Awards 2011

Beatriz Gonzalez — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:12:14 +0000

Précis:

CSP Today is proud to announce the winners of the International CSP Today Awards 2011

Seville, 28^th November 2011

The winners of 2011 are:

CSP commercialized technology innovation 2011: Torresol Energy

Increased dispatchability solution 2011: SENER

Emerging markets achievement 2011: Abengoa

CSP Newcomer 2011: HelioFocus

CSP technology supplier 2011: Rioglass

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