Technology subsidiary Flagsol performs study for parabolic trough plants in Oman

• Development of the market portfolio
• Use of parabolic troughs for industrial steam production
• Reduction of the use of fossil raw materials

Erlangen/Cologne, 18.03.2008 Flagsol GmbH, one of Solar Millennium's (ISIN DE0007218406) technology companies, has been commissioned to perform a feasibility study for a parabolic trough plant in the Sultanate of Oman.

The goal of the study is to examine the use of concentrating solar thermal systems for the generation of steam in the oil production in Oman. Hot steam is injected into the deposit under high pressure in order to expand the oil production. This enables better utilization of the deposit and the degree of deoiling is significantly increased. The use of solar energy for steam generation is an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional steam generation. Emissions which are hostile to the climate and the use of fossil raw materials are significantly reduced.

With the conventional utilization of oil fields using natural pressure or pumping to the surface, a large proportion of the raw materials in a deposit remain unused due to the natural flow characteristic limits. The supply of steam under high pressure substantially increases an oil field's utilization rate. The warming effect improves the flowability and thereby the mobility of the crude oil.

Due to the viscosity of the oil, some oil fields can only be utilized with the injection of steam on site and with the use of other newly-developed pumping technologies. Due to high oil prices and the international market dynamics, it is to be expected that this technology will find increasing use for the intensified utilization of oil fields in many known as well as partially utilized oil deposits.

Dr. Thomas Thaufelder, Managing Director of Flagsol, sees considerable market potential for parabolic trough technology: "Parabolic troughs are ideal for the generation of hot steam. Environmentally-friendly steam generation using solar energy reduces the use of fossil raw materials. In addition to the generation of solar power, the generation of steam and industrial process heat constitute a further interesting field of application for parabolic troughs."

Flagsol is continually working on the further development of parabolic trough collectors in order to increase their efficiency and to expand the market portfolio. To this end Flagsol is working on direct evaporation together with reputable research institutes and industrial partners. In the future, instead of a heat transfer medium being heated in the absorber pipes of the collectors, water is to be evaporated directly. The use of newly-developed thermal storage units means that steam can be provided on a constant, plannable basis.

About Solar Millennium AG:
Solar Millennium AG, Erlangen, is a globally active company in the renewable energy sector, with its main focus on solar thermal power plants. Together with its subsidiaries, Solar Millennium specializes in parabolic trough power plants - a reliable, proven technology in which the company is a worldwide leader. The company covers all major business sectors of the value-added chain for solar thermal power plants, from project development to technology and turn-key construction of power plants, to the operation and ownership of power plants. In Spain, Solar Millennium developed Europe's first ever parabolic trough power plants, two of which are already under construction. Further projects are planned with a capacity of several hundred Megawatts located worldwide, with the focus upon Spain, the USA, China and North Africa. The company is also developing solar chimney power plants, with the aim of making this technology ready for the market.

About the technology:
Solar thermal power plants generate electricity using heat energy captured from solar radiation. In a parabolic trough power plant, trough-shaped mirrors concentrate the sun's rays onto a pipe in the focal line of the collector. Their absorption heats a transfer fluid in the pipe, generating steam in the power block by way of heat exchange. As with conventional power plants, the steam is utilized in a turbine to generate power, and by integrating thermal storage, this power can be supplied on demand. Thus, solar power plants can also generate electricity after sunset.

You can download the press release here.