TANKRETE

Project "TANKRETE" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

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 Project objective

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is one of the most promising renewable energies, but its deployment has been negatively affected by its high investment costs. This fact reduces its competitiveness compared to other alternatives (photovoltaics and wind power). In addition, existing CSP plants are facing troubling issues with the molten salts mega tanks, one of the core elements of their Thermal Energy Storage (TES) areas. These tanks, usually worth around €10M, are made of stainless-steel or carbon. The length of their welding cord and the increased corrosiveness of these materials at high temperatures endanger their durability. Recently, some settlements and even breakages have been reported in commercial plants, causing relevant repairing and substitution costs. TANKRETE project, developed by InCrescendo, is aimed at tackling this problem while contributing to increase the CSP profitability. TANKRETE is a cylindrical tank with an isolating foundation system, all manufactured with patented thermal concretes. TANKRETE provides greater stability and durability to the TES area, with a significant reduction in the investment cost (35% cheaper than current tanks), plus additional 3-4% savings in a budget of €45M in salt volume. TANKRETE provides adaptability and design flexibility, as well as immediate applicability, it being compatible with current plants’ technologies. We have developed two small-scaled functional prototypes, whose long term thermal and structural stability has been successfully tested. Based on our estimates, TANKRETE will reach by the 3rd year from launch a cumulative turnover of €63M in a turnkey business model, with a cumulative profit for us of €6.3M. This is a high-risk project. We have the customer base and a current existing demand. However, they need a more adequately sized pilot unit to be tested, due to the high investment. We aim to confirm our preliminary feasibility data through Phase 1 and then we will pursue the pilot unit construction.