The solar thermal plant of Verdun will supply 8 GWh of decarbonized heat for the Lacto Serum factory nearby. With an area close to 15,000 m2, it became the largest solar thermal installation for industrial process heat in Europe, exceeding Issoudun’s plant, commissioned in 2021 by Savosolar, with a few hundreds m2.
This plant is the property of Newheat and Savosolar has been chosen to realize the solar thermal field as a turnkey project.
The size of the solar heating system is over 5,600 m2, it generates over 2 600 MWh of clean energy annually, and is the fourth project of Savosolar for the French market. Savosolar has delivered the largest part of the whole solar thermal plant including the solar collector field, piping, design and delivery of heat exchange station and automation. LFDE subsidiary own and operate the solar heating system and sell heat to ENES Creutzwald, the energy service company of Creutzwald’s municipality, owner of the district heating network.
La Française de l’Énergie (LFDE) is listed on Euronext and leader in low carbon footprint energy production. LFDE produces gas, green electricity and heat in Northern France, Eastern France and in Benelux. Since 2019, LFDE develops photovoltaic and solar thermal projects on the areas where they operate, to reduce the carbon footprint of the final consumers. Through this first solar thermal project, LFDE reaffirms its commitment to the environment by developing renewable energy projects, prioritizing environmental benefits and reducing energy costs.
Løgumkloster Fjernvarme is a district heating company which annually supplies 35,000 MWh of heat to over 1,500 customers. Heat is produced with a hybrid heating system consisting of a 3 MW pellet boiler, a 1.3 MW hybrid heatpump, a 3 MW absorption heat pump and a solar collector field of 15,300 m2. Additionally, the plant has two gas engines which are capable of producing 7.6 MW of heat and 6 MW of electricity and a 10 MW gas boiler which acts as back-up.
In 2015, Savosolar delivered a 9,700 m2 solar thermal field to Løgumkloster. The second order of 5,600 m2 was delivered and commissioned in the beginning of 2016. The complete field consists of 1030 Savo 15 SG collectors and covers about 20% of the annual thermal energy need of the district heating network. The largest part of the heat demand is covered by the pellet boiler, but Løgumkloster Fjernvarme has plans to change this in the future by extending the solar field and building a large seasonal water storage.
This solar thermal plant, the largest in Europe for industrial process, will deliver on average 4,000 MWh/year of heat. It will cover nearly 32% of the heated water need for the steam generation in the local paper mill. With the very high solar yield – more than 1,000 kWh/m2 – this solar thermal field is the first of its kind in the world due to Savosolar high efficiency solar collectors installed on a single-axis tracking system, manufactured and installed for Savosolar by Arcelormittal, Project Exosun. 66 tilting structures, each carrying four 16 m2 collectors, follow the sun from morning to evening and maximize the heat production.
The project was developed and financed by NewHeat and Savosolar acted as the EPC contractor. Meaning, Savosolar designed the whole system, delivered the solar collectors, and realized the installation with local French companies. This installation will be a reference for the huge growing market of heat-as-a-service for industrial clients in France and world-wide.
