Stadtwerke Munchen and RWE Innogy realise Spanish solar plant, Andasol 3

15th July 2009

Stadtwerke München and RWE Innogy are realising the solar thermal power plant Andasol 3 in the south of Spain in conjunction with MAN Ferrostaal, RheinEnergie and Solar Millennium.

Construction on the 50MW plant has already begun and is expected to come online in 2011. Andasol 3 will be the third solar power plant to be installed in the Spanish province of Granada by Solar Millenium.

The plant was developed by German-based Solar Millennium, while Stadtwerke München possesses a 48.9 per cent share in the project company Marquesado Solar S.L. RWE Innogy and RheinEnergie jointly hold 25.1 per cent of the shares in this project via an investment holding company, and the remaining 26 per cent of the project company continues to be owned by an investment holding company of MAN Ferrostaal and Solar Millennium.

Dr Kurt Mühlhäuser, chairman of the executive board of Stadtwerke München, said, ‘We have an ambitious objective: Munich will be the first city in Germany where all private households can be supplied with electricity generated from renewable sources in SWM’s own power plants. We currently use hydroelectric power, wind energy, biomass and photovoltaic cells. With our investment in the Andasol 3 project, we have chosen another ground-breaking technology. The parabolic trough power plant in the south of Spain will bring us a great deal closer to our objective.’

Christian Beltle, chairman of the executive board of Solar Millennium, added, ‘As a result of our early entry into the market, we have extensive expertise in the development and realisation of solar thermal power plants. We have supplied the solar technology for the first parabolic trough power plants in both Spain and Egypt. The fact that we are now joining forces with four leading German companies is a wonderful acknowledgement of our work to date.’

Upon completion of the Andasol 3 power plant, around 210,000 parabolic mirrors will capture the sunlight.

Copyright © 2009 NewNet