Solar field in desert
© liliportfolio - stock.adobe.com
Solar thermal power plants use the sun as an energy source to produce power.

CSP-ERANET

In CSP-ERANET, scientists from different countries are working together to further develop solar thermal power plant technology (CSP stands for "Concentrated Solar Power"). The solar thermal power plants generate power with concentrated solar rays. By concentrating the rays on a receiver through which a heat transfer medium flows, high temperatures can be reached to set a power plant process in motion. Solar thermal power plants are operated in countries with high direct solar irradiation, including southern Europe, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and China.

One advantage of solar thermal power plants is that heat can be stored well and used to produce power as needed. Furthermore, solar thermal power plants can also be combined with other technologies that use renewable energy sources, for example photovoltaics. The know-how of German companies, universities and research institutions flows into components such as receivers, turbines, heliostats (special mirrors) or pumps as well as measurement and control technology. These developments can be successfully exported to the sunny regions. Through CSP-ERANET, various European countries and regions have created funding synergies to strategically bundle CSP research. In addition, the innovative, transnational projects strengthen the competitiveness of European solar thermal power plant technology.

Current call: CSP-ERANET Cofund Joint Call
Budget: 13 million euros
Duration: Since June 2019 - end May 2024 (5 years)
Participating countries and regions: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia, Israel, Greece and Turkey

  • EuroPaTMoS - European joint project on parabolic troughs with molten salt as heat transfer medium - risks and avoidance strategies
  • Si-CO - High-performance parabolic trough collector and innovative silicone heat transfer oil for CSP applications
  • NEWCLINE - Improved thermocline concepts for thermal energy storage in solar thermal power plants
  • TES4Trig - Thermal energy storage system for demand-driven combined heating, cooling and power systems

Contact Person Projektträger Jülich

Dr. Tarik Schwarzer,