TRX SOLAR, the solar spin-off of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), has already begun manufacturing the receiver tubes for the new R&D project led by OHL Industrial. This project, called Futuro Solar, is carried out in collaboration with the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) and will trust TRX as its critical element supplier. TRX has used its longstanding expertise to adapt the receiver tubes to meet the particular requirements of the new facility.
TRX’s aerospace know-how provides the technical foundations to make advances in the sector, on aspects ranging from solar radiation and selective coatings to vacuum. It also provides a mentality and strategy clearly focused on innovation, as well as the continuous adaptation of new technology and products.
In this project, OHL has chosen an evolution of the Fresnel technology (www.ohlindustrial.com/en/innovation/rdi/futuro-solar). The EEA-Grants Programme will co-finance a first prototype in Madrid that will be used to study the behavior of different configurations of a collector loop unit. The total cost of the project exceeds 1.5 million euros.
Casilda Alonso-Martínez, head of TRX for EMEA and LATAM markets, expressed confidence in the future of such new technologies: “OHL is further proof that large companies are investing in promising technologies such as Fresnel. We all are confident that these companies will reach the promising targets they pursue.”
TRX SOLAR
Since 2000 the company has designed, manufactured and tested its own receiver tubes with full intellectual property rights and a strong commitment to international quality standards. With €52 million in assets (of a total investment plan of over €200 million), TRX carries out R&D, production and related technical services. In 2014, TRX opened its new factory in Cangzhou (China) with an initial capacity for manufacturing receiver tubes equivalent to 200MW/year. With this factory, TRX aims to establish itself in the international CSP market as one of the leading players.
OHL INDUSTRIAL
OHL ranks fourth among the Spanish contractors according to the list established by ENR.
After strengthening its expertise in solar thermal field and in line with its commitment to sustainability and the process optimization for energy generation, OHL Industrial started the Futuro Solar project in 2014. It is intended to increase the know-how and competitiveness of the solar thermal energy in their different applications.
