During the first reporting period, HELIOTROPE successfully advanced the development of high-temperature, sustainable thermal energy storage solutions for CSP plants. The work achieved strong technical progress across all WPs, establishing a solid foundation for subsequent validation and demonstration activities.
WP1 – Foresight and definition of requirements for the development of the novel thermal energy storage system:
Completed comprehensive specifications for CSP tower plants, defined Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) and circularity strategy, and identified novel chloride and carbonate molten salt mixtures, Ni-based alloys, and coatings, establishing test protocols and performance baselines.
All deliverables (D1.1 D1.2 D1.3 D1.4 D1.5 D1.6) submitted and milestones (MS1, MS2) reached.
WP2 – New storage fluids: High temperature molten salts systems:
Developed laboratory infrastructure and methodologies, and characterized two innovative molten salt systems and corresponding nanofluids with enhanced heat capacity and stability, achieving readiness for pilot-scale validation.
1 deliverable (D2.1) submitted and 1 milestone (MS3) reached, as expected at this stage of the project.
WP3 – New storage components: Material & coating development for molten salt corrosion-resistant and receiver coatings:
Produced and validated eight new Ni-based alloys and six corrosion-resistant coatings, along with high-absorbance solar receiver coatings capable of operating up to 850°C, paving the way for long-term corrosion and aging testing.
2 deliverables (D3.1 D3.4) submitted and 1 milestone (MS5) reached, as expected at this stage of the project.
WP4 – New storage components & systems performance: materials, coatings, & novel corrosion control system:
Initiated corrosion and accelerated aging tests under realistic molten salt and high-flux solar conditions, developed an online corrosion monitoring sensor and a cathodic protection concept to achieve near-zero corrosion rates.
1 milestone (MS8) reached, as expected at this stage of the project.
WP5 – Environmental and socio-economic assessment of the novel thermal Storage Energy System:
Launched preliminary LCA, LCC, and S-LCA analyses confirming potential >10% LCOE reduction and >20% environmental impact reduction, and established safety and circularity protocols.
WP6 – Communication, Dissemination & Exploitation:
Built strong dissemination foundations with website, social media, and stakeholder mapping; identified three Key Exploitable Results (KERs) and initiated clustering with the FLUWS project.
2 deliverables (D6.1 D6.2) submitted, as expected at this stage of the project.
WP7 – Project Management:
Ensured efficient coordination, risk management, and reporting through proactive monitoring, early internal reporting, and submission of all management deliverables on time.
4 deliverables (D7.1 D7.2 D7.4 D7.7) submitted, as expected at this stage of the project.
