SUPPORT TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CONCENTRATED SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY AREA OF THE SET PLAN

The main hurdle the Concentrated Solar Thermal Technologies (CST) sector has been facing over the last decade in Europe is the assumed level of the costs of CSP power plants with a too narrow perception of its use as flexibility provider to the sole electricity systems.

To mitigate this, the CST4ALL project identifies an array of hybridisation and cooperation initiatives at the interface between CST and other technologies for applications relevant to the 3 sectors (electricity, heat and fuels) incorporating the work products of various ETIPs.

Well-aligned on current EU initiatives (Smart Sector Integration, Fit for 55, CETP) and specific energy strategies across the reviewed Member States to provide answers to the most urgent challenges of decarbonisation, the core deliverable of CST4ALL consists of an intertwined set of workshops with respective industry and R&I focus.

These shall bring together, better coordinate and incentivise the interaction of main stakeholders at key technology interfaces with the CSP sector building on combined technological and non-technological improvements.

Both the research and the industry perspectives are first analysed aiming primarily at supporting and enlarging the network of active stakeholders in the CSP Implementation Working Group in the SET Plan and to raise the general awareness about the role CST can play in a future sustainable energy mix.These workshops finally result in specific proposals at EU-level from a cross-sector perspective to foster public/private funding for R&I and create the necessary political/regulatory framework conditions for the execution of the new CSP Implementation Plan.