Port Of Antwerp Pioneers First Eco-Friendly Solar Concentrator Farm Project
Port Of Antwerp Pioneers First Eco-Friendly Solar Concentrator Farm Project
On the 23rd of October, the first solar concentrator farm in the European process industry was inaugurated in Port of Antwerp. The solar reflectors have been installed by Azteq that is a Genk-based energy company for the logistics company Adpo.
The installation is a part of a trial project with the support of the Flemish government.
First concentrated solar thermal plant in Europe
1100 m² of parabolic reflectors have been installed by Azteq in the last few months at the Adpo operated site in Beveren.
The heat from the reflectors will be used by Adpo for the generation of steam that will be used to clean and heat containers and tanks. It is estimated that this installation will replace the consumption of gas by about 500MWh per year.
Revolutionary technology
In Europe, this installation is the first industrial project for Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy (CST). In CST, the sunlight is collected by parabolic reflectors and then converted into heat.
The movement of the sun is tracked by the reflectors in order to concentrate the incident sunlight on collector tubes that can generate temperatures of about 400°C. Insulated storage tanks have been installed by Azteq so that the heat can also be used at night.
In comparison to a photovoltaic system, CST generates three times more energy per installed square metre. This technology is a great eco-friendly option for all heating requirements of the industry and thus, can make an important contribution in bringing down the emission of CO2 in the ports.
Reference: portofantwerp
