Parabolic trough demonstrator for high temperature solar energy in sardinia using gas as heat transfer fluid

ESTATE Lab (Laboratorio per l’Energia Solare Termica ad Alta Temperatura) project is aimed towards building up a laboratory for the development of high temperature concentrated solar technologies in Sardinia, Italy. The main purpose of the R&D activities is the construction of a demonstration plant for the production and storage of energy at 550°C by means of sun-heated gaseous fluids. The plant will be built in the industrial area of Macchiareddu, nearby Cagliari and mainly consists of two 100 m. lines of parabolic trough collectors and one thermocline pebble-bed energy storage for each line. The Estate Lab project demonstrator will be developed in order to prove the good findings of the research activities and to validate the expected results. The optimisation of the system will be also investigated for a proper scale up of the plant to a commercial size for bulk electricity production. This paper presents the key technical data of the experimental facility and the significant and innovative aspects of the project.