Other renewables

AKO has completed the start-up of its AKOTRACE® in the Astexol-2 Solar Thermal Power Plant

EVWIND

AKO has begun an association with Nicsa, an Abengoa company that provides technological and resource solutions in a wide range of energy generation sectors.

This affiliation puts both companies in a position to offer turnkey EHT solutions to concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, gas natural licuado (GNL; i.e., liquified natural gas) tanks, combined cycles and bio-fuel plants, among others within Abengoa, to be more competitive and cost-efficient in combined or joint projects.

AKO, the leading Spanish company in Temperature Regulation and Control by means of Electrical Heat-Tracing, solutions, has completed the supply, installation and start-up of its AKOTRACE® System in the Astexol-2 Solar Thermal Power Plant for thermoelectric solar generation using parabolic trough collectors technology. The project has been carried out in Badajoz (Badajoz, Spain).

 

The company completed, in June 2012, its turnkey AKOTRACE® System which involves different aspects: from the study of the application on behalf of its investigation and development department, the Project Engineering; in addition to the involvement of the Project and Works Management for a correct installation and supervision of the works.

 

The extensive knowledge and experience of AKO has lead to the construction company, Elecnor, granting this part of the project to AKO. In addition, the collaboration with the company Ingeniería Fluor, has ensured the correct operation of the electric heat-tracing system, critical in these type of facility, given the high operating temperatures to be maintained, that can reach 400ºC. The aim is to prevent non-desired stoppages of the station or a loss of performance in its operation, as well as maximising the number of operating days, guaranteeing at all times the quality of the equipment supplied, spare parts management, deadlines and a strict compliance with the safety, health and hygiene standards.

 

The power plant, with a power of 50 MW, will produce clean energy equivalent to the yearly consumption of 30,000 households, therefore avoiding the emission of 48,000 tons of CO2.

 

Up to now, in the region of Extremadura, there are six operative thermo-electric power stations, Risca and Florida in Alvarado, Dehesa in La Garrovilla and Extresol I and II in Torre de Miguel Sesmero (in the region of Badajoz) and Majadas in Majadas del Tiétar (Cáceres). This means that Extremadura will be the first region in Europe and the first worldwide in electric energy coming from thermo-electric power stations.

 

AKO, which has been awarded the tender for supplying and assembling the Electrical-Heat Tracing of numerous Spanish Thermo-Solar Power Stations over the last few years, has been chosen by all of them to apply the leading solution AKOTRACE® as an electric-heat tracing system. Their trust in the leading solution in electrical heat- tracing and its optimum results in critical aspects is thus evident.

 

Currently, AKO is carrying out other projects in thermo-solar power stations , that are also large-scale projects, both nationally and internationally, in which its flexibility and capacity to be able to carry out different projects simultaneously and overcome the challenges presented along the way can be observed.