The DLR Institute of Solar Research, together with the University of Évora and industry partners from Germany and Spain, have built a solar parabolic trough test facility using molten salt as its heat transfer medium. It is part of the High Performance Solar 2 (HPS2) research project located in Évora, Portugal, which is a Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant that uses the sun’s energy to generate electricity and heat. With a total thermal output of up to 3.5 megawatts, it is equipped with a steam generator that provides steam at a pressure of up to 140 bar and generates a thermal output of 1.6 megawatts. The plant aims to develop and optimize the use of molten salt as a primary fluid, operating between 500°C and 600°C, increasing efficiency and lowering CAPEX and OPEX costs.
