Hybrid Solar Power Station Completed in Spain

AORA Solar is one step closer to proving that major projects involving renewable power are reliable options, especially nowadays when fossil fuel resources are limited and expensive.

The company has succeeded in completing the construction of a hybrid gas turbine solar thermal power station, located in Almeria, Spain, Green Technology World informs.

If everything goes according to plan, the facility will start providing green power later this year. The eco-friendly plant is strategically placed in one of the most important science parks in the world, Platforma Solar Almeria, where researchers are testing and improving alternative technologies.

The Almeria plant is surrounded by an array of 52 tracking mirrors. Sunlight is captured and redirected to a 35-meter high tower, equipped with a solar receiver and a 100 kW gas turbine. The mirror field reflects the solar radiation and distributes it to solar receivers.

Developers are pleased with the final result and hope to expand their innovative green technologies to other regions, where eco-friendly power coming from the sun is far from being considered a scarce resource, like Arizona, California or Australia.

Apart from producing the much-needed electricity, the newly-completed power plant will also provide 170 kW of heat for a desalination plant. Apparently, the facility will represent a profitable investment for the next quarter-century.

"We are very excited to complete construction on our second power station, and we look forward to demonstrating our unique ability to provide our customers with uninterrupted, 24/7 clean-power. Our technology and scalable solution can be easily customized for a variety of applications and environments," explained Zev Rosenzweig, AORA CEO.

The company has already tested the functionality and environmental benefits of a hybrid power station. The first awesome prototype, looking like a giant yellow tulip is now located in Israel and was completed almost three years ago.

It displays 30 huge mirrors and functions just like the Almeria plant, supplying approximately 70 Israeli homes with clean, green power. If the sun is hiding under the clouds, the turbine from the plant can be powered by biodiesel or natural gas.