ABB starts up photovoltaic solar plant in Spain

MURCIA, SPAIN - ABB completed delivery and commissioning of the 1-megawatt (MW) Totana photovoltaic power plant located in the region of Murcia in Spain. In a year, Totana produces 2.2 gigawatt-hours of grid-quality electric power and displaces some 1,350 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The turnkey solution was completed in a record time of four months and is based on ABBÂ’s modular concept for photovoltaic power plants. It includes solar trackers, electrical balance of plant, instrumentation and controls.

The equipment is delivered pre-assembled and factory-tested to reduce on-site work and time. The project scope also covered installation and commissioning, as well as the associated civil works. The fast-track delivery enabled the plant owner, Global Capital Finance, to meet the time criteria and qualify for the maximum feed-in tariff for photovoltaic power plants.

ABBÂ’s photovoltaic concept includes patented optimization technologies that will help increase the plant performance ratio to around 80 percent, nearly 5 percent higher than average industry standards for such applications. This clearly leads to higher energy efficiency and translates into increased power production and higher revenues for the operator.

“Our ability to deliver a complete turnkey photovoltaic power plant in a remarkably short time and with such high plant efficiency levels is indicative of our technology strength and execution capabilities to serve the solar energy business,” says Franz-Josef Mengede, head of the global Power Generation business, a part of ABB’s Power Systems division.

Recent installations by ABB include the 200 MW Extresol and Andasol thermo-solar power plants in Spain, the largest in Europe, and the pioneering 175 MW Hassi RÂ’Mel integrated solar combined cycle power plant, in Algeria.