The German company SOLITERM GROUP GmbH presented in Bucharest the solar thermal energy installation made for the Beko Romania factory in Ulmi. The project shows how the thermal energy produced by the sun can be used in existing industrial processes, reducing the need for energy from conventional sources and CO₂ emissions.
A reference plant at the Beko plant in Ulmi The turnkey system provided by SOLITERM includes design, installation and monitoring via a SCADA remote control system. The 48 parabolic trough collectors PTC1800 are arranged in eight rows on approximately 900 m². The estimated production is 602 MWh of thermal energy per year, which corresponds to a reduction of about 158 tons of CO₂ annually. The plant is designed for a maximum operating temperature of 120 °C.
Aluminium reflectors concentrate direct solar radiation on a tube through which the heat circulates. The collectors follow the sun on a single axis with an accuracy of 0.1° to optimise energy capture. The construction weighs 13 kg/m² and allows for ground or roof mounting. Depending on the configuration, PTC1800 technology can deliver process heat at temperatures of up to 300 °C. At Ulmi, the annual resource of direct solar radiation is around 1,400–1,550 kWh/m². Beko Romania, one of the country’s most important industrial employers, has about 4,500 employees and factories in Găești and Ulmi. About 84% of its production is exported to over 80 countries.
The washing machine factory in Ulmi runs on 100% green electricity and has obtained the “Sustainability Lighthouse” distinction from the World Economic Forum. The integration of solar thermal energy completes its decarbonization strategy. Applications and opportunities for the industry The heat produced by the SOLITERM system can be used for industrial washing, cleaning, preheating and drying processes, as well as for hot water preparation and space heating. Depending on the configuration, the technology can also provide heat for steam production or for supplying absorption cooling systems. It has potential for the food and beverage, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile and automotive industries, especially where there is a constant need for heat.
At the “Technology Launch” event on September 24, organized in Bucharest within the Renewable Energy Solutions program of the Energy Export Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), with the support of the German Energy Agency (dena) and the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania), about 30 representatives of industry, the energy sector and institutions learned more about the project and discussed the opportunities for decarbonization of industrial processes in Romania.
The Ulmi plant represents for SOLITERM a reference project in its development on the Romanian market.
About the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania)
AHK Romania is the official representative of the German economy. Established in 2002, AHK has over 700 members and provides companies with an important platform for networking, exchange of information and experiences. Through the services it offers and the events it organizes, AHK Romania actively supports German companies in their entry into the Romanian market and is also a partner of Romanian companies interested in the German market. Starting with January 1, 2020, the Competence Center for the Republic of Moldova also operates within AHK Romania. We want to intensify business relations between companies from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Germany and to contribute significantly to the economic development of the Republic of Moldova.
About the Renewable Energy Solutions program
The project is supported by the Renewable Energy Solutions programme of the Energy Export Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). With the support of dena, the programme helps German renewable energy and energy efficiency companies to enter new markets through the construction of benchmark installations as well as communication, information and training activities.