Solar Millennium AG starts realisation of the Blue Tower in Herten; demonstration project receives 7.1 million Euros in funding from the German federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia

• Total investment of 24.6 million Euros
• Expansion of the technology portfolio of Solar Millennium with the aim of allowing solar thermal power plants to operate round the clock
• Sustainable generation of hydrogen and electricity from roadside green cuttings in the region
  

Erlangen/Herten, Germany 21.01.2009 Solar Millennium AG (ISIN DE0007218406) starts realisation of a Blue Tower in the town of Herten, a demonstration project for the generation of hydrogen and electricity from the sustainable use of regenerative feedstock. An important element of the financing of the Blue Tower is the project funding of about 7.1 million Euros to the project corporation H2Herten GmbH, which has now been approved by the federal state government of North-Rhine Westphalia. The total investment in the project is about 24.6 million Euros.

The Blue Tower in Herten will use cuttings from greenery along roadsides in the Ruhr region as feedstock to produce a clean, hydrogen-rich product gas which is both to be processed into hydrogen and also used for generating electricity in a combined heat and power plant. Around 12,000 households can be supplied by the plant capacity of 13 Megawatts (thermal) with electricity generated in a sustainable manner. The additionally produced hydrogen is to be supplied to the hydrogen competence centre - a scheme by the town on the old mine area ‘Auf Ewald' conceptually integrated into the Blue Tower project.

By investing into this demonstration project, Solar Millennium is also aiming at significantly increasing the operation time of solar thermal power plants through hybrid operation to make electricity production round the clock possible. Both solar energy and clean product gas, the so-called Blue Gas, from the utilisation of regenerative feedstock will be used. In this way, the power plants will be able to contribute in a climate-friendly and reliable way to cover a greater part of the demand for electricity.

Dr. Henner Gladen, CTO of Solar Millennium: "The approximately 40-meter high Blue Tower on the A42 highway will be a landmark for the Ruhr region's change towards a sustainable and climate-friendly energy structure by the use of future technologies. Since the Blue Tower, unlike well-known biomass technologies, uses regenerative feedstock and, thus, a wide variety of raw materials, the technology can be utilised in a vast number of locations throughout the world. The project in Herten is a reference plant of international significance."

Christian Beltle, CEO of Solar Millennium, sees great opportunities in combining solar thermal power generation with Blue Tower technology: "A decisive advantage of solar thermal power plants, when compared to other forms of renewable energy, is the possibility to produce electricity even when there is no sunshine but yet a high demand for electricity thanks to the use of thermal storage. By combining solar thermal power generation with Blue Gas in hybrid operation, we can further expand this advantage."

Today, the Minister for Economy, Small Businesses and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ms. Christa Thoben, will officially hand over the notice for approval. The laying of the foundation stone of the Blue Tower in Herten takes place in February 2009. Now that this funding has been approved, the last necessary licences will be obtained promptly. The realisation period will last for about one year.

About Blue Tower technology:
The use of regenerative feedstock to generate energy or hydrogen is based on the principle of staged reforming. The raw materials are mostly converted into gas and a minimum amount of solids by thermolysis. The resulting gas is refined to a clean, climate-neutral product by reforming, i.e. Blue Gas. The heat of reaction needed for thermolysis and reforming is gained mainly from combustion of the solid material. The Blue Gas can be used to generate hydrogen and electricity, for example. Blue Tower is a multifeedstock-technology. This means that a variety of very different materials can be used, for example garden waste, roadside green cuttings, olive stones or chicken manure. More information can be found at www.SolarMillennium.de/blue-tower.

About solar thermal power plant technology:
Solar thermal power plants generate electricity using solar radiation converted into thermal energy. In a parabolic trough power plant, the solar radiation is concentrated by trough-shaped mirrors onto a pipe in the focal line of the collector. Its absorption heats up a heat transfer fluid in the pipe, generating steam in the power block by means of a heat exchanger. As with conventional power plants, the steam powers a turbine to generate electricity. And by integrating a thermal storage, electricity can be supplied on demand, even after sunset.

About Solar Millennium AG:
Solar Millennium AG, Erlangen, is a globally active company in the renewable energy sector, with a main focus on solar thermal power plants. Together with its subsidiaries, Solar Millennium specialises in parabolic trough power plants - a reliable, proven technology in which the company has a worldwide leading position covering all major business sectors along the value chain for solar thermal power plants from project development over technology and turn-key construction to the operation and ownership of power plants. In Spain, Solar Millennium developed Europe's first ever parabolic trough power plants and realised them together with partners. Further projects are planned worldwide with an overall capacity of over 2,000 Megawatts. The current regional focus is on Spain, the USA, China and North Africa. In addition, the company develops solar chimney power plants aiming to make this technology ready for the market.

About H2Herten GmbH:
H2Herten GmbH is the project company of the Blue Tower demonstration project in Herten. It is a 90% subsidiary of Blue Tower Capital GmbH, Erlangen, a 100% subsidiary of Solar Millennium AG. The remaining 10% are held by Blue Tower GmbH, Herten, the technology company of Blue Tower, of which Solar Millennium AG owns 76% and the patent owner, Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Mühlen, owns 24%.

You can download the press release here.