THE ECHO - Ferrostaal

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Solar Power Group know-how: Fresnel collector with direct vaporisation
Stake in the
Solar Power Group
MAN Ferrostaal continues to expand its solar business.
Following the foundation of the joint venture with
Solar Millennium AG, the company has acquired 25 per
cent of the equity shares of the Solar Power Group GmbH
(SPG). The SPG, which specialises in the development of
technology and the engineering of solarthermal power
plants based on Fresnel technology, is the partner for a new
pilot plant in Almería, which was officially presented on
July 9, 2007. Of the four solarthermal technologies available
today, Fresnel technology is the least expensive to
manufacture and, from 2008, is set to be used commercially
in large-scale plants for the first time.
SPG has already constructed and operated two Fresnel test
plants and has advanced the technology greatly in recent
years. Dr. Wolfgang Knothe, Member of the MAN Ferrostaal
Executive Board and responsible for the company’s plant
construction business, regards the investment as a logical
step for the expansion of this business: “We are acting on
the basis that the solar sector will experience a major boost
to growth in the years to come. We are therefore entering
strategic alliances with technology leaders in the field of
solar energy and, by extension, are positioning ourselves
as a project developer and general contractor for the construction
of solar thermal power plants”. On the basis of
its worldwide organisation and its existing technology
partnerships, MAN Ferrostaal is planning to supply such
power plants in southern Europe, the Middle East, Africa,
Asia and America.
Regenerative energies and fuels play a major role in the
corporate strategy of MAN Ferrostaal. The company is
among the first globally active plant constructors to develop
and construct power plants for the generation of solar
power and plants for the production of biofuels. As in the
case of other sectors related to plant construction, the
company does not develop the technologies itself, but
works with leading technology partners for the joint realisation
of projects.
THE ECHO August 2007
The pilot plant is located in Europe‘s sun belt.
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