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    Renewables and storage

    Trailblazers in decarbonization

    Sener/Markets/Energy/Renewables and storage

    FLEXIBILITY AND DISPATCHABILITY

    At Sener, our journey in the renewable energy industry got underway in the 1980s, when we started up our first solar projects. This path has led us to be pioneers in the development of cutting-edge technology and to contribute to more than thirty solar thermal plants around the world, making us world leaders in the engineering of this type of facilities. This spirit of promoting knowledge and seeking the best solutions has given us a technological advantage in other types of renewable energy generation, such as wind and biomass, where we promote innovative projects.

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    Solar

    In solar thermal energy, we are world leaders in terms of the number of projects we’ve carried out, as well as our technological capacity and innovation.

    We’ve participated in 29 solar plants in Spain, South Africa, Morocco and the USA, with a total installed capacity of more than 2,000 MWe, saving more than one million tons of CO2 per year, and leading different stages of the process from engineering to construction and operation.

    Among others, we were part of the turnkey construction consortium for the NOORo solar complex in Ouarzazate, Morocco. As well as being part of the construction consortium, we have carried out the engineering and provided the solar collection, molten salt tower receiver and molten salt storage technology for the three solar thermal phases NOORo I, NOORo II and NOORo III .

    Sener’s experience in solar energy dates back to the 1980s, which has given us a significant technological advantage. We started up trailblazing plants such as Andasol, the first solar thermal power plant to incorporate a molten salt thermal storage system; and Gemasolar, the world’s first molten salt tower power plant in commercial operation and the first to produce electricity for 24 hours without interruption, using only solar energy.

    As a result of this extensive experience, we have developed the most cutting-edge technologies:

    • Thermal storage in molten salts to continue producing energy in the absence of solar radiation, in other words, at night or in cloudy weather, becoming a manageable source that supplies electricity to the grid in line with demand.
    • Much more efficient central tower technology with molten salt receiver.
    • The   tool for simulation and projection of electricity production.
    • The parabolic trough collector SENERtrough® and its second version SENERtrough®-2.
    • The heliostat designed and patented by Sener.
    • The SEAP heliostat field and receiver control system.

     

    Parabolic trough technology

    Parabolic trough collector technology comprises a range of parabolic mirror loops arranged in horizontal rows, which concentrate solar radiation onto a central tube through which thermal oil circulates. The hot oil is used to vaporize water, which is fed to a steam turbine and drives a generator that injects electrical energy into the grid.

    Since 2007, with more than 2,500 km of installed surface area, Sener has a track record of 27 parabolic trough plants all over the world and has developed its own collector system, SENERtrough®.

    Central tower technology

    We designed, built and operated Gemasolar for years, the first commercial-scale concentrating solar power plant with central tower receiver technology with heliostat field and molten salt storage system.

    After Gemasolar (20 MWe), we took on the challenge of carrying out the next generation of central tower plants, NOORo III (150 MWe) located in the Moroccan town of Ouarzazate.

    Photovoltaics

    We innovate to develop new technologies that support the significant development that photovoltaic generation has undergone in recent years. In particular, we focus on solutions for sites with complex topography and greater restrictions, which is becoming increasingly common due to the difficulty of finding land for large installations.

    To minimize these difficulties, at Sener, we developed ORUGA®, a software that optimizes the layout of photovoltaic plants for all types of terrain. In addition, it reduces the impact on production due to shading caused by orography and accurately estimates plant production, taking these effects into account.

    Floating photovoltaics is also a booming technology, in which Sener, thanks to its multidisciplinary profile, provides innovative solutions, calling on its extensive experience in marine projects, maritime infrastructures or in the off-shore wind area. In this field, Sener performs the basic engineering and technical assistance for the development of these type of projects.

     

    Energy management system (EMS)

    The future of renewable energies is linked to the use of storage solutions and energy management capacity, for generation and demand alike. For the optimal sizing of this type of plants, we have developed simulation tools and a flexible EMS (Energy Management System), capable of managing any generation technology, storage or electrical and thermal energy consumption.

    This technology can be used in large-scale renewable generation projects and distributed generation solutions. In this way, the existing resource on the site can be taken advantage of and, with a certain storage capacity, manage demand. If we add 4.0 tools to this, the management of electricity generation, storage and consumption can be carried out behind-the-meter.

    Distributed generation solutions such as these can be constituted as a micro-grid, for which Sener has developed a flexible electric power controller, capable of managing all generation, storage or consumption assets connected to the grid.

    Storage

    We have an extensive track record in designing and implementing molten salt storage and other innovative systems. For some time, we have been working on different types of thermal storage, in electric batteries (Ion-Li, Redox, etc.), hydrogen, steam or water.

    For the correct sizing of storage facilities and through the simulation of the operation, we combine the optimization of their capacity with our knowledge of materials and structural calculations, with which we adapt the designs to the system’s functional conditions, paying special attention to the transient regimes.

    Biomass

    From the outset, we opted to use high efficiency thermodynamic power cycles, specially adapted to biomass plants, with Reheat-Regenerative Cycle. Designs such as this have been used in the Mérida, Huelva and Puertollano plants.

    As well as greater efficiency, which is now a requirement in accordance with new European regulations, we provide the plants with greater flexibility. In turn, they can operate with heterogeneous biomass mixtures, with continuous and seasonal composition changes, maintaining plant stability and emissions within the permitted values. This flexibility is the result of a demanding design, the use of digital tools and continuous improvement during plant operation. This adaptability is of the utmost importance, and its benefits have been proven in the plants run by Sener where the expected availability and performance have been improved.

    MORE ABOUT SENER ENERGY

    Hydrogen and carriers

    For years we have been working on hydrogen, a key resource for decarbonization. We develop disruptive ideas that drive the evolution of this industry, using cutting-edge technologies in all phases of a project, from design to start-up. Our experience in the safe treatment of H2 and other gases, combined with extensive knowledge of power generation, means we can continue working with you to make hydrogen a solution for the future.

    Sustainable industry

    Our mission is to innovate in order to advance towards a sustainable society and a sustainable business and industry. We are specialists in energy transition technologies,

    Circular economy

    We support the transformation of industrial models towards the circular economy paradigm, in which waste is reduced and the useful life of raw materials is extended.

    Offshore wind

    We have been offering wind and other marine energy solutions such as wave energy for years, as well as having the capacity to cover a wide range of services throughout the entire lifespan of a wind farm project.

    Natural gas

    As one of the industry’s leading turnkey contractors, we carry out everything from large regasification terminals and cryogenic storage tanks to developing the virtual pipeline concept.

    Cogeneration

    Cogeneration and combined cycle power plants are highly complex facilities that call for expert knowledge in several industrial and energy fields. Our teams are experts in the design of hybrid plants that allow the reduction of CO2 emissions,

    ©Sener - Grupo Sener 2021