INITEC Energía (ACS group) becomes the main technology supplier for CSP in India

INITEC Energía has contracted the design of various plants with a total capacity of 200 MW for LANCO Solar, the leading private energy operator in India, and becomes its strategic partner for new projects in this country which has an ambitious plan to implement this technology.

Madrid, 9th May 2011. INITEC Energía (ACS Group) has signed an agreement with LANCO Solar, the leading private energy operator in India, for the construction of 200 MW of thermosolar energy in this country using parabolic trough collector technology. This project puts INITEC Energía as a leading market player in thermosolar power engineering in India, a country that has a National Solar Mission that foresees the installation of 20,000 MW in the next 10 years and in which INITEC Energía will actively participate.


The agreement between INITEC Energía and LANCO Solar specifies that the Spanish company will execute the conceptual design & basic and detailed engineering of the plants and will support the Indian company in the construction and start-up. The technology selected is that of parabolic trough with thermal storage using molten salt, a method that INITEC Energía has already used in starting up two plants in Castilla La Mancha (Manchasol 1 and 2). On their side, LANCO Solar is committed to supporting the construction of the plant and the associated materials supply. The agreement signed now underlines the intention of both companies to become strategic partners and jointly participate in the important development plan of this technology in India.

The plants located in the region of Rajasthan in the northwest of India will produce energy for consumption in 56.000 homes and will avoid, in comparison with a gas-based plant, the emission of 380.000 tons of CO2 to the atmosphere. One of these plants will remain as the property of Lanco itself and the other one will be put up as a "turnkey project" for KVK Company.

India has very strongly opted for this clean technology with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission - JNNSM - and seeks to make the country a world leader in thermosolar energy production. The program has three stages: a first phase between 2012 and 2013 with the installation of 1,000 MW of power generation, the second from 2013 to 2017 in which 10,000 MW will be reached and the third phase from 2017 to 2022 by which 20,000 MW is scheduled to be generated. Spain is currently positioned as the major producer for this kind of energy with 11 operating plants at the moment and a forecast of 2.500 MW total production by end of 2013.

INITEC Energía´s activity

INITEC Energía has a team of 400 employees and associates and a turnover in the year 2010 around 190 million Euros.

Traditionally focused in engineering and execution of EPC projects in Combined Cycle Power Plants, INITEC Energía is committed to the development of CSP energy as the principal route for the future of the renewable energy sector. The company created in 2008 the Renewable Energy Area which has been directed since then by Daniel Blanco. This Area has managed to sign several projects while oriented to development of new markets and centralizes R&D activities for improvement and support of this alternative energy production.

ACS Group, of which INITEC Energía forms a part, is the promoter of 9 of the 16 thermosolar plants constructed in Spain. The direct implementation of EPC projects - "turnkey project"- in joint venture with Cobra (ACS group) of two plants in Alcázar de San Juan with thermal storage using salts allows autonomy of 7, 5 hours and a power generation of 50MW each. This together with the establishment of production data from the generating plants of the Group have allowed INITEC Energía to create a special program that enables calculation of production data (PLATER) from which reliable estimations can be obtained on possible production scenarios based on weather analysis, necessary to be able to carry out the construction of a plant of this nature. This has been a determining factor in the agreement with LANCO Solar.

INITEC Energía began its activity in solar technology in the 80s by conducting basic and detailed engineering, erection and supervision of construction, organization of the trial phase, operation, monitoring and control of results on experimental operations of plant Cesa-1 for PSA and Ciemat. During the following years the company has made various feasibility plans and property engineering studies for its clients in the energy market.

INITEC Energía participates in various international conclaves for CSP energy development. It is part of the drafting group of AENOR on specific regulations for production of thermosolar energy; it collaborates in the development of specifications for test operations with ASME through Guide PTC-52 as well as cooperating with the international network SolarPACES to establish prediction parameters through the drafting of the guide "Modelos de predicción de producción solar" (Models for predicting solar production).

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