Pittsburgh (December 8, 2009) - Emerson Process Management announced that six new Spanish solar plants have chosen Emerson to install its Ovation® control technology since last year. These power stations (after Ovation is installed on the operating solar power stations) will provide 350 MW of clean energy to the Spanish grid. That's enough electricity to power about 70,000 homes.
Pittsburgh (December 8, 2009) - Emerson Process Management announced that six new Spanish solar plants have chosen Emerson to install its Ovation® control technology since last year. These power stations (after Ovation is installed on the operating solar power stations) will provide 350 MW of clean energy to the Spanish grid. That's enough electricity to power about 70,000 homes.
Spain is a leader in the development of renewable energy, particularly solar, in line with the EU's target of generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Spain has a sunny climate and wide view, so solar energy is a natural choice for its renewable energy generation. The current Spanish Royal Decree, which promotes 500 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP), has largely brought about a rapid increase in CSP development activity in Spain since 2008.
The solar plants (all with parabolic trough designs) are owned by four independent energy companies. One of the plants entered commercial operation in May 2009, another is currently in the start-up/commissioning phase, and the remaining plants are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2010.
Bob Yeager, president of Emerson Utilities, said the selection of Emerson by a number of different power generation companies is a testament to Emerson's reputation and successful track record in solar power plant automation.
"Emerson has established itself globally as a leading provider of automation and control solutions for renewable energy, particularly solar," Yeager said. He points out that eight of the 11 concentrated solar power plants in the United States rely on Ovation technology. "We are proud that the world's leading power generation companies have placed their confidence in our advanced technology. We are particularly pleased that we have played a role in many projects that will help Spain meet its renewable energy targets."
For concentrated solar power plants, Emerson's Ovation technology monitors and controls mirrors, heat exchangers, hot oil or molten salt storage, steam turbine operations and auxiliary production processes. Ovation can also seamlessly connect to third-party devices as needed. Emerson's complete automation and control solutions for power companies also integrate AMSTM Suite predictive maintenance software. This software monitors the commissioning and start-up of power stations and saves on normal operation and maintenance costs. Emerson solutions also include smart wireless technologies, as well as HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Profibus and DeviceNetTM smart field services, including Rosemount® pressure, temperature, flow and level measurement instrumentation; As well as Fisher® control valves, regulators and instrumentation.
"Emerson's proven solutions for renewable energy are based on decades of experience in coal, combined cycle and thermal power plant automation," Yeager said. "It is our commitment to the power industry that sets Emerson apart from other automation and control providers."
