Extremadura Solar Complex, One Of The World’s Biggest Solar Power Plants

The 200MW Extremadura Solar Complex is Europe's largest solar photovoltaic power plant and one of the world's largest solar power plants. It is situated city of Logrosan, in the province of Caceres, in the Spanish state of Extremadura.

The complex was built in two stages and consists of four concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, Solaben 1, 2, 3, and 6, each with a 50MW installed capacity. Solaben 2 and 3, the first phase's two units, went online in July 2012 and December 2012, respectively. In September 2013, the two units in the second phase, Solaben 1 and 6, began commercial operations.

The first phase's two CSP plants are jointly owned by Abengoa Solar (70%) and Itochu (30%), while the second phase's two are exclusively owned by Abengoa Solar. The project provided about 3,000 construction jobs and 91 permanent jobs.

The construction cost of the first phase was more than EUR 500m, with EUR 340m was financed through a loan primarily from SMBC, HSBC, Mizuho, and BTMU. It was also partly financed by a Japanese export credit agency NEXI, which provided the Overseas United Loan Insurance program support. The second phase of the project was carried out with an investment of EUR 200m.

At the Extremadura Solar Complex, each Solaben unit covers around 280 acres and has a 300,000m2 aperture. Each unit will generate enough electricity to power 26,000 homes while also reducing CO2 emissions by 31,400 tonnes per year.

Each unit is made up of 360 parabolic troughs (collectors) that are 150 meters long and contain 12 modules. A heat transfer fluid (HTF) boiler, thermal oil pipes, a turbine, steam generator, and cooling towers are among the other infrastructure facilities of the Spanish solar complex.

The complex's electricity is fed into the national grid and sold to users under the Spanish feed-in tariff system, which allows customers to purchase electricity at reduced prices to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.

The solar complex's Solaben power units employ Abengoa Solar's single-axis E2 parabolic trough technology. Long rows of parabolic-shaped mirrors mounted on structures are used to track the Sun's movement. Solar radiation is focused on a receiver tube with high thermal efficiency, through which heat transfer fluid (HTF) circulates and reaches temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius. The fluid produces steam, which is then utilized to power a traditional steam turbine that uses the Rankine cycle to create energy. The technology includes a thermal storage system, which allows for continuous power generation and allows the plant to run even under overcast or dark situations.

Abener and Teyma collaborated to build the power plants on a turnkey basis. Abener was in charge of the plant's construction, while Teyma was in charge of the foundations. Schott created the heat collector elements (HCE).