Aalborg CSP, Danish renewable energy specialist and a well-known player in district heating circles landed a new order to deliver an 8MWth solar-thermal plant, which when completed will provide sustainable heating for 2,583 customers in the Copenhagen area. The solar field consisting of 11,312m2 flat solar-thermal collectors will be the fifth green project that the company delivers in the country, thereby contributing to Denmark’s ambitious targets to become fossil fuel free by 2050.
Aalborg CSP received the order from the combined heat and power plant (Smørum Kraftvarmeværk A.m.b.A.) to deliver an 8MWth solar heating plant that will reduce the facility’s natural gas dependency as well as stabilize energy prices. The 11,312 m2 solar field, which will be located in the town of Smørum, will consist of flat solar-thermal panels capable of producing 5,568 MWh heat annually. Aalborg CSP’s scope of supply also includes delivery of necessary technical installations and 2,2km long piping for energy transmission.
“It was a natural step in our development to switch to a renewable energy source that can also compete with the fluctuating gas prices so we can stabilize the cost of energy production. Flat solar-thermal collectors matched our energy needs the most and we were pleased to receive a cost-competitive solution-package from Aalborg CSP whose diverse solar portfolio and installed global capacity made us chose them as partners for this project” – says Jan Møller, Managing Director at Smørum Kraftvarmeværk A.m.b.A.
Making renewable energy affordable
The solar heating plant is the fifth green project that the company builds in its home country that is known to be a pioneer in renewable energy solutions. Most recently, the company has completed a 16.6MWth concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Denmark. Currently the plant produces heat only, but when the second phase of the project (a biomass-Organic Rankine Cycle system) also goes online in 2018, it will be the first one in the world to demonstrate how CSP can optimize efficiency of ORC even in areas with less sunshine.
“With innovation embedded in Aalborg CSP’s DNA and with different technologies on our solar portfolio, we have the flexibility to match individual energy requirements with the right solar-thermal systems. The plant in Smørum is yet another good example how renewable energy can become affordable when designed in close collaboration with the client to meet project and industry specific demands” – said Jes Donneborg, Executive Vice President of Aalborg CSP’s Solar Thermal Plant’s division.
Rapid construction and installation
Shortly after signing the agreement with the Danish CHP plant, construction commenced in Smørum with expected handover taking place by the end of this year. Altogether 56 rows of flat panels will be installed with up to 20 collectors placed in one row. These 13,3m2 optimized panels have shown the highest performance among all known mass-produced large-scale solar collectors on the international market.
The same collector type was also used in another Danish district heating plant (Solrød Fjernvarme) where they performed beyond expectations during Spring and Summer of 2017.
The system is expected to harvest the first sunrays of 2018. Besides offering a cost competitive solution for heat production, the solar plant also avoids the emission of at least 1,100 tons of CO2 annually.
Fact sheet:
Client: Smørum Kraftvarme A.m.b.A.
Capacity of the plant: 8 MWth
Annual energy production: 5,568 MWh heat
No. of customers: 2,583
Supplier of the system: Aalborg CSP A/S
Scope of supply: Complete solar collector system, technical installations and technical house, transmission lines
Location: Smørum
Area: 11,312 m2 solar collectors
Plant layout: 56 rows with up to 20 collectors in a row
Maximum temperature: 95 ºC
Solar collector type: GREENoneTEC GK3003 series, single and double glazed
Expected system lifetime: 25 years
CO2 reduction: 1,100 tons / year
Aalborg CSP is a leading developer and supplier of innovative renewable technologies aiming to change the way energy is produced today. Relying on extensive experience from some of the most efficient concentrated solar power (CSP) projects around the world, the company designs and delivers green technologies and integrated energy systems to lower the cost of energy for industries and power plants worldwide.
Aalborg CSP places strong focus on R&D activities and partners with knowledge-based companies and institutions to create leading-edge technologies. As a result, the Aalborg CSP engineering design is centred on a value-adding concept providing solutions that excel in operation, increase plant revenue and contribute to a greener future.
Headquartered in Aalborg (Denmark) and with sales & service offices in Spain, the US, Kenya, Uganda, Australia and Indonesia, Aalborg CSP has realised cost effective green energy solutions to a variety of industries worldwide.
