On 20 August 2009, the solar thermal experimental and demonstration power plant in Jülich (Solarthermisches Versuchs- und Demonstrationskraftwerk Jülich; STJ) was officially handed over to its future operator, the Jülich Department of Works, by the general contractor, Kraftanlagen München.
The technology for the core of the facility, the receiver, was developed and patented by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). DLR, together with the Jülich Solar Institute, provided scientific guidance and support for the planning, design and operation of the power plant.
In addition to its role as licensor for the receiver technology, DLR was also involved in the design of the heliostat field and the receiver and in qualifying individual components within the system. Furthermore, DLR computer simulations led to the development of operating concepts and to the calculation of the annual yield of the overall facility that are important for assessing efficiency. In this regard, DLR can rely on the many years of experience gained from its development work and the test operation of solar thermal facilities at the Plataforma Solar de Almería in southern Spain.
On 20 August 2009, the solar thermal experimental and demonstration power plant in Jülich (Solarthermisches Versuchs- und Demonstrationskraftwerk Jülich; STJ) was officially handed over to its future operator, the Jülich Department of Works, by the general contractor, Kraftanlagen München.
The technology for the core of the facility, the receiver, was developed and patented by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). DLR, together with the Jülich Solar Institute, provided scientific guidance and support for the planning, design and operation of the power plant.
In addition to its role as licensor for the receiver technology, DLR was also involved in the design of the heliostat field and the receiver and in qualifying individual components within the system. Furthermore, DLR computer simulations led to the development of operating concepts and to the calculation of the annual yield of the overall facility that are important for assessing efficiency. In this regard, DLR can rely on the many years of experience gained from its development work and the test operation of solar thermal facilities at the Plataforma Solar de Almería in southern Spain.