Greece

Nur Energie is developing the first CSP tower power plant in Greece.

Nur Energie in Greece

In Greece Nur Energie is developing a 50 MW CSP tower power plant on the island of Crete, the first of its kind in Greece. The site on Crete is one of the best areas in Europe for solar energy projects as it presents the highest solar resource potential. Greece currently offers a feed-in tariff regime for CSP with a 25 year term PPA. Crete is an autonomous island and so electricity prices to consumers are high.

 

Crete Project Site

The selected CSP technology is ideal for the island given the power demand profile both on a daily and seasonal basis. The proposed technology is based on tracking mirrors (heliostats) which concentrate the suns radiation to generate heat which is converted into electrical energy which is injected in the island's electrical grid.

The project is fully licenced with a signed EPC contract and ready for construction. In addition, Nur Energie has been awarded by the NER300 grant program. In December 2012, the “Minimum Intermittency Operating System” abbreviated as M.I.N.O.S CSP project was awarded  a 42m € grant. The conditions of the grant require a technical solution with direct superheat steam generation of at least 50 MWe installed capacity. M.I.N.O.S indicates the innovative control methodology and the systems developed for the cloud-effect mitigation control and the combined operation of the solar field, the solar receiver and the thermal energy storage system. The M.I.N.O.S platform aims at reducing the intermittency of the CSP station down to a minimum and provides firm power to the grid irrespective of the cloud conditions.

Nur Energie's DNI recording device and monitoring site

About NER300

“NER300” is a financial instrument managed jointly by the European commission, European Investment Bank and Member States. The foundation is laid in Article 10(a) 8 of the revised Emissions Trading Directive 2009/29/EC which contains the provisions to set aside 300 million allowances (rights to emit one tone of carbon dioxide). This was framed under the new entrants Reserve of the European Emissions Trading Scheme for Subsidizing installations of innovative renewable energy technology and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The allowances are being sold on the carbon market and the money raised will be made available to the projects as they operate. Approximately €1.5bn became available to 23 renewable energy projects in the first call. The complete list of awarded projects-available on the commission's website.