Israel launches world's first hybrid solar power station

Israel launches world's first hybrid solar power station

Photo taken on June 24, 2009 shows the solar receiver of the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel. Each of the station's 30 heliostats tracks the sun and reflects its rays towards a special solar receiver, where it heats compressed air that drives a gas turbine. The turbine converts the thermal energy into electric power.

KIBBUTZ SAMAR, Israel, June 24 -- AORA, a leading Israeli solar energy technology company, launched Wednesday world's first hybrid solar thermal power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel.

This marked the first time that concentrating solar power (CSP) stations can provide environmentally-friendly power 24 hours a day, according to AORA's CEO, Haim Fried.

Photo taken on June 24, 2009 shows the solar receiver of the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel.

AORA's "Power Flower" station, named due to its unique yellow tulip design, consists of a field of 30 tracking mirrors (heliostats) situated on half an acre of land.

Each of the station's 30 heliostats tracks the sun and reflects its rays towards the top of a 30 meter-high tower housing a special solar receiver along with a 100 kilowatt gas turbine.

Photo taken on June 24, 2009 shows the solar receiver of the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel.

The patented receiver uses the solar energy to heat air to a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius and directs this energy into the turbine, which converts the thermal energy into electric power that will be fed directly into the national grid.

Besides solar energy, the power station can also run on other alternative fuel, including bio-gas, bio-diesel and natural gas. So the station can produce electricity when sunlight is insufficient, such as at night or when it is cloudy.

"The size and relative price of this solar power system means it can be implemented in local as well as large-area installations," Fried told Xinhua.

Photo taken on June 24, 2009 shows the solar receiver of the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel.
(Xinhua)