Image of the Day : Gemasolar Plant, Spain

The solar array in Seville, Spain looks a bit like a giant human eye from space. On closer examination, the center of the eye features a concrete solar tower that stands forty stories high. It is ringed by 2,650 mirrors that blast scorching rays of sunlight to the tower, which stores the heat and converts it to energy. When the plant is completed in 2013, it will provide enough energy to fuel the city of Seville. The plant works on molten salt heat storage system. It is located within the city limits of Fuentes de Andalucía in the province of Seville, Spain.

This image captured by GeoEye-1 satellite sensor shows Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant located in Seville, Spain.The plant is a 140 m high solar power tower and uses molten salt as its heat transfer fluid and energy storage medium. © GeoEye

Gemasolar is the first commercial solar plant with a central tower receiver and molten salt heat storage technology. It consists of a 185 ha solar field that has a 140-m high tower receiver, a power island and 2650 heliostats.
The most innovative aspects of the plant are its molten salt receiver, its heliostats aiming system and its control system. In addition, its storage system allows it to produce electricity for 15 hours without sunlight (at night or on cloudy days). This storage capacity makes its solar power manageable so that it can be supplied based on demand.