Spain's Sener unveils 150-MW CSP-PV hybrid project in Andalusia

Sener Renewable Investments, a subsidiary of Spanish engineering group Sener, announced that it is promoting a 150-MW hybrid solar project in Andalusia, seeking to pair PV and concentrated solar power (CSP) for the first time in Spain.

The Solgest-1 hybrid is designed to feature a parabolic trough type of CSP plant, capable of generating 110 MW electrical (MWe) gross, with a two-tank molten salt heat storage system, which will provide over 1,900 MWh thermal of storage capacity, the Sener group said on Thursday.

The PV component will consist of a 40-MWp solar farm, made up of 96,930 polycrystalline silicon modules of 415 W each, installed on horizontal, single-axis trackers.

The nominal power that will be fed into the grid will be 98.06 MW.

Each part will be able to operate and generate power independently, said Sener, adding that this way scheduled maintenance will not stop generation.

The Solgest-1 site will be located in Seville province, specifically in the municipal district of Fuentes de Andalucia, where Sener built the 20-MW Gemasolar CSP tower plant with molten salt storage.

Sener, which used to co-own Gemasolar with UAE-based renewables company Masdar, no longer has a stake in the operational plant.

At present, Sener Renewable Investments is waiting for the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Solgest-1 project to arrive and is handling other permitting required to build the plant. The group said that it plans to present the project to Spain’s upcoming dispatchable renewable energy auction.

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