CSP structures

A concentrated solar power (CSP) system focuses sunlight into a small beam that heats fluid used as a heat source for a conventional power plant.

Sapa at the CSP frontline

Sapa is positioning itself as a leading provider of mounting system structures to the expanding CSP market. Parabolic troughs currently dominate the market, and Sapa has made several deliveries to leading manufacturers in recent years.

Aluminum is gaining ground

Steel is conventionally used for parabolic steel applications. However, aluminum is gradually gaining ground thanks to its lower weight and favourable material properties, eliminating the need for welding when mounting the trough.

Strong and light

Aluminum is strong enough to maximise the precision and focusing of the sunlight, ensuring an efficient use of the sun’s heating effect. Low weight simplifies fieldwork as more operations can be made manually.

Timing is crucial

The success of a CSP project depends greatly on the quality of the logistics solution. The timely delivery of thousands of tonnes of material places strict demands on transportations. Smart design concepts combined with the low weight of aluminum allows Sapa to deliver more units per truckload than using steel.

Delivery precision is the key to cost-efficiency in large-volume CSP projects.