Objective SOLAR ENERGY MAY PLAY A KEY ROLE TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN PRESENT AND FUTURE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS, WHILE CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, SINCE THEIR USE INVOLVES NONE OR NEGLIGIBLE EMISSIONS OF CO2, SO2, AND NOx. HOWEVER, THE WIDESPREAD USE OF SOLAR ENERGY IS RESTRAINED BY THE HIGH INVESTMENT/PROFIT RATIO OF THIS TYPE OF INSTALLATION WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVES. ONE IMPORTANT PROBLEM POSED BY SOLAR ENERGY LIES IN THE RELATIVELY FEW HOURS OF EQUIPMENT OPERATION, WHICH MAKES INVESTMENT RETURNS DIFFICULT. AN ADDITIONAL INCONVENIENCE LIES IN THE LACK OF CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND, DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THE ENERGY SOURCE AND THE HIGH COST OF ENERGY STORAGE. AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION IS TO COMPLEMENT THE POWER SUPPLY OF THE GENERATING SYSTEMS WITH FOSSIL FUELS, TO INCREASE THE USE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND BETTER ADAPT TO THE DEMAND. A MOST PROMISING CONCEPT IS A HYBRID SOLAR ENERGY-NATURAL GAS SYSTEM, WHERE SOLAR CENTRAL RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY IS COMBINED WITH FOSSIL FUEL TO MAKE THE INSTALLATION MORE PROFITABLE, INCREASING ITS USE AND VERSATILITY. THUS, THE HYBRID SYSTEM BENEFITS FROM THE ADVANTAGES OF A CENTRAL RECEIVER, RATHER THAN PARABOLIC TROUGH, SYSTEM: A SMALLER RECEIVER SURFACE, WHICH ENABLES OPERATING AT HIGHER ENERGY FLUXES AND HIGH ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY; A BETTER COSINE FACTOR WHICH YIELDS SUPERIOR FIELD EFFICIENCY; AND LOWER TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS (EASY TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN). CONCEPTUALLY, THE FOSSIL FUEL IS USED MORE EFFICIENTLY AND INTELLIGENTLY, OVERCOMING THE DEFICIENCIES ENCOUNTERED IN RENEWABLE ENERGY. THUS, THE CONVENTIONAL ENERGY INCREASES THE VALUE OF THE INSTALLATION, IN ADDITION TO THE PURELY ENERGETIC CONTRIBUTION. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO CARRY OUT THE PREPARATORY PHASES (FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ASSESSMENT OF MARKET POTENTIAL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA) OF THE SO-CALLED SOL-GAS PROJECT. A PROJECT WHICH AIMS TO BUILD A SOL-GAS COGENERATION PLANT IN ANDALUSIA (SPAIN) THAT FULFILLS THE ABOVE MENTIONED REQUIREMENTS.THE PLANT WOULD BE IN THE RANGE OF 35MWe AND PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 40t/h OF SATURATED STEAM AS PROCESS HEAT. IT COULD SERVE AS A EUROPEAN PROTOTYPE FOR OTHER SOL-GAS COGENERATION PLANTS TO SUPPLY THERMAL PROCESS ENERGY FOR INDUSTRIAL PLANTS OR SEAWATER DESALINATION Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power generationcombined heat and powerengineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdesalinationengineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdistillationengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsenergy conversion Programme(s) FP3-RENA - EU Preparatory action on renewable energies, 1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Sociedad para el Desarrollo Energetico de Andalusia SA EU contribution No data Address 11,Calle Bolivia 41012 Sevilla Spain See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTER FOR SOLAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN RESEARCH BADEN-WÜRTEMBERG Germany EU contribution No data Address 21 C,Hessbrühlstrasse 21 C 70565 STUTTGART See on map Total cost No data CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICAS Spain EU contribution No data Address S/N,Carretera Senes S/N 04200 TABERNAS See on map Total cost No data Compañòa Sevillana de Electricidad SA Spain EU contribution No data Address 5,Avenida de la Borbolla 41004 Sevilla See on map Total cost No data EDP - ELECTRICIDADE DE PORTUGAL SA Portugal EU contribution No data Address 55/2,Av. Estados Unidos da America 55/2 1749-061 LISBOA See on map Total cost No data INSTALACIONES ABENGOA SA Spain EU contribution No data Address C/ Manuel Velasco Pando 7 41007 SEVILLA See on map Total cost No data Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial Portugal EU contribution No data Address Estrada do Paço do Lumiar 1699 Lisboa See on map Total cost No data