ALFR-Alentejo: Advanced Linear Fresnel Reflector

The ALFR-Alentejo project aims at modeling, installing, operating, and analyze a solar concentrator prototype ALFR (Advanced Linear Fresnel Reflector) for solar thermal electricity production (STE – Solar Thermal Electricity) and coupling it to storage systems with mixtures of molten salts. Through this experience it is intended to be able to operate at higher temperatures, above 500°C, aiming to achieve solar-to-electricity efficiencies above 14% in locations like the Iberia Peninsula with a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) below 0.10€/kWh with thermal storage. Operation and collection of data that are crucial for the development of this technology, which also aims at a substantial reduction of costs in the production of electricity by solar thermal. The project was implemented in conjunction with the EMSP (Evora Molten Salt Platform) and PECS (Solar Concentrator Testing Platform) platforms of the University of Évora (UÉ), from the valences of the Renewable Energies Chair – University of Évora (CER-UÉ) and the National Infrastructure in Research on Solar Energy concentration (INIESC), as well as the high availability of solar radiation in the region. This operation is also part of the anchor areas of the UÉ: Agriculture, Water and Energy and Territorial Planning.