Project location

The first two AndaSol plants will be implemented in the high valley of Marquesado de Zenete, north of Sierra Nevada, approximately 60 kilometers southeast of Granada (see attached map) elevating from 900 to 1100m. It is one of the most elevated and extended plateaus on the Spanish peninsula, with an average altitude of its municipalities of more than 1000m above sea level.

This altitude, favours the area as one of the best resources of direct solar radiation in Spain. A 400kV high voltage transmission line owned by Red Electrica de Espana (REE) is crossing the valley. REE has foreseen the implementation of a new substation in the municipality of Hueneja in the Marquesado de Zenete. Abundant resources of subterranean waters are received from the northern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, that were already used by the now closed iron ore mines "Minas de Alquife”. With the new freeway A-92 and the train track connecting Almeria-Granada it has ideal transportation access for construction and operation of the project.

Direct Normal Insolation (DNI) is the primary energy source of the AndaSol projects. After a survey of available data sources and satellite images, Solar Millennium AG started measuring in the Marquesado de Zenete with an own meteorological station in March 2000. It measures global, diffuse and direct radiation, wind speed, wind direction and

ambient temperature. The measurements started in March 2000 and include by now a reliable and gapless measured base of insolation data of approximately 3 years. Values in the range of 2100 to 2.200 kWh/m2*yr. have been measured in the last three years. Some of the recent measurement results are shown in Figure 1.