Heineken Spain and Engie España have inaugurated a 30 MW solar thermal plant in Seville, Spain. The project boasts a storage capacity of 68 MWh and is purportedly Europe's largest industrial CSP facility.

The venture required a €21 million ($21.9 million) investment, co-financed with FEDER funds and managed by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). Spanning 8 hectares, the plant is poised to slash the brewery's factory fossil gas consumption by more than 60%.

The solar thermal plant involves the integration of thermodynamic concepts and CSP technology in an industrial facility. This effectively doubles the production capacity of superheated water for industrial use, enhancing energy reliability and availability. It also uses water as a heat transfer medium, eliminating the need for synthetic oils that could pose environmental risks.

The plant's construction extended beyond initial projections, taking 12 months to complete – nearly twice the originally estimated time frame, according to Engie.

Heineken and Engie's partnership operates under a Thermal Purchase Agreement (TPA) framework. Heineken assumes responsibility for energy consumption and provides the land, while Engie commits to delivering fully renewable energy at a predetermined rate. Upon the agreement's 20-year term expiration, ownership of the solar thermal plant will transfer to Heineken.