From idea to completion in only 5 years
Following the successful completion of a feasibility study by Kraftanlagen München (KAM), project development for the construction of an experimental solar thermal power plant commenced in 2005 in collaboration with its project partners the German aerospace center Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), the Jülich Solar Institute (SIJ), and the Jülich municipal utilities Stadtwerke Jülich (SWJ).
Sponsorship was secured from the relevant ministries between December 2005 and March 2006 and the approval of the Jülich City Council was obtained in June 2006. KAM was first contracted with the approvals planning in November 2006. Once the notice of approval was obtained in June 2007, KAM was awarded the contract for the complete construction of the plant in the capacity of general contractor.
Plant construction started in February 2008 and was completed by the end of 2008. The first solar power supply has already been generated. Plant testing and optimization are scheduled for a period of test operation due to run until the end of 2009 and trial operation will commence once this phase has been completed.
The aim of the project is first to test the new technology developed by KAM and its research partners in its implementation as a complete plant, to optimize the individual components of the system and to gain experience in the operation of the power plant.
The core component of the solar tower power plant is the volumetric receiver in which the solar radiation is absorbed. The receiver is cooled by ambient air which heats up to approx. 700 °C, whereupon it is fed into a heat recovery steam generator for the purposes of steam generation. The steam generates electricity in a conventional steam turbine and this electricity is fed into the electrical power system operated by Stadtwerke Jülich. If solar irradiation is interrupted by clouds, a continued supply of energy is ensured by means of a thermal storage module.
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