The lowest bids in two tenders for up to 350 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP) capacity in Morocco have been made by tie-ups led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and Spanish firm Abengoa, Reuters reported. The lowest bids in two tenders for up to 350 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP) capacity in Morocco have been made by tie-ups led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power International and Spanish firm Abengoa. Results of tenders for constructing and operating the two Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants near the city of Ouarzazate, one of at least 200 MW and the other of at least 100 MW, are expected in the next few weeks, the sources said. Then plants are scheduled to start generating power in 2017. The two Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants are the second phase of the 500 MW Ouarzazate project, which is part of a government plan to produce 2 gigawatts of solar power by 2020, equivalent to about 38 percent of Morocco’s current installed generation capacity. Moroccan solar energy agency Masen said consortiums led by Spain’s Abengoa, GDF’s International Power Gand ACWA Power had been pre-selected for the 200 MW (Noor II) tender. The three groups have also pre-qualified for the 100 MW (Noor III) tender, along with another consortium led by Electricite de France. The consortium led by ACWA group, which includes Spanish international engineering company Sener, bid $0.1601 per kilowatt-hour in power tariffs from the completed plant, the lowest bid received by Masen to build Noor II, the sources said. Abengoa’s consortium made the cheapest offer of $0.1672 per Kwh to build Noor III. If Masen decides to combine the bids for the two plants, the ACWA bids overall would beat Abengoa’s, the sources said. “The two options have been considered. We are studying the two tenders separately as the technology is not the same, but we are also considering combining the two bids as almost the same bidders have been selected for the two plants,” a source from Masen said. Masen has chosen parabolic mirror technology for the 200 MW solar plant, while the 100 MW plant will be built as a solar power tower. Banking sources have said the estimated cost is 1.7 billion euros ($2.1 billion) — 1 billion for the 200 MW plant and 700 million for the 100 MW plant. To finance the plants, Morocco has secured loans of $519 million loan from the World Bank, 654 million euros from German state-owned bank KFW, and the rest from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Commission and European Investment Bank. ACWA Power is already building a 160 MW plant in the first stage of the project in the Ouarzazate area.
Evwind, Other renewables

Abengoa pushing forward with Palen Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project

Abengoa has decided to continue pushing forward with the development of the Palen concentrated solar power (CSP) project regardless of the withdrawal of its planning application in September.

 

Abengoa has decided to continue pushing forward with the development of the Palen concentrated solar power (CSP) project regardless of the withdrawal of its planning application a few months ago (September).

The 500 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project had been under development via a partnership between Abengoa and Brightsource, before the planning application was withdrawn following on the news that the project would have to be reduced in size, from two towers to one, and that it would have to take up considerably less land.

As part of Abengoa’s recent announcement to continue pushing forward, the company also revealed that it will be acquiring Brightsource’s stake in the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project — and that it will be altering the project to a single tower configuration, and increasing molten salt storage.

“Abengoa aims to bring forward a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project that will better meet the needs of the market and energy consumers. Concentrating solar power, and specifically tower technology with thermal energy storage, can play a key role in helping California achieve its clean energy goals by providing the flexibility needed to maintain grid reliability,” the company stated in a press release.

That statement alludes to the fact that the state of California has placed storage requirements on the state’s main utilities. In reference to that, PG&E’s proposed molten storage project is intended to help the utility reach its share of the 1.3 GW target for storage. The new plans will still have to be submitted to the CEC, and are pending approval.

 

termosolar, Concentrated Solar Power, Concentrating Solar Power, CSP, Concentrated Solar Thermal Power, solar power, solar energy, Abengoa, Palen, Brightsource Energy, California, U.S.,  

 

http://www.helioscsp.com/noticia.php?id_not=2778 

 

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