(Image credit: MLenny)

Namibia's first CSP plant could reach 200 MW

State-owned Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) tendered in November for a new impact assessment to build the country's first CSP plant which could see as much as 200 MW of capacity built on an unused coal plant site.

According to the tender document, NamPower wants the new CSP plant's capacity to be between 50 MW and 200 MW and "employ thermal storage to support the latest proven CSP technology as a power generation solution."

NamPower intends to develop on a site which was designated for a discontinued coal-fired power station project, situated 10 km north-east of Arandis in the region of Erongo.

"This will allow NamPower to accelerate the implementation as the critical studies are already completed," the tender document states.

The size of the storage capacity will be matched to the dispatch profile, "which could be between either mid merit or base load dispatch," the tender says.

Cooling will be based on air cooled condensers and the transmission connection to the grid will be at the Kahn substation. The water supply will be provided by NamWater or, if required, other desalinated water providers.

Namibia has more than 33,000 square km of potential sites for CSP development that could accommodate more than 250 GWe of projects.

Abengoa starts insolvency, CEO resigns

Spain's Abengoa has filed for creditor protection after an equity deal with engineering group Gestamp fell through, Abengoa said November 25.

Gestamp subsidiary Gonvarri had reportedly planned to inject around Eur350 million euros ($370 million), which would have made it Abengoa’s biggest shareholder.

Abengoa's Chief Executive Officer Santiago Seage resigned on November 27 and all operational powers shifted to board chairman Jose Dominguez Abascal.

Under Spanish law, Abengoa has four months to make arrangements to secure lenders and negotiate with creditors. 

Spanish and international banks' total exposure to Abengoa is around Eur20 billion, which includes financing for projects, according to Reuters.

Struggling with debt, Abengoa cut its full-year targets earlier this year and stepped-up asset sales. A share issue was followed by a tumbling share price, as shown below.

                                                         Abengoa's share price 

Source: Bloomberg

EC to help fund European solar field certification

The European Commission (EC) has approved a proposal to create a European Operator Certification for Solar Fields, submitted by Spain-based energy agency AGENEX.

From 2016 to 2018, AGENEX will coordinate 16 national and international institutions to create a European platform for training and certification of solar field operators.

AGENEX is to receive Eur800,000 ($848,000) from the EC through the Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA).

The European Solar Thermal Association (ESTELA) and national thermal power associations of Spain (Protermosolar), Italy (ANEST) and Greece (EBHE) will participate in the scheme, ESTELA said in a statement.

The certification system aims to capitalize on the knowledge of solar field operators and raise academic and international recognition of the sector, in order to "facilitate labor mobility" in the solar thermal power market, ESTELA said.