Cost competitive CO2-free energy from the sun and the relatively low energy consumption in the production of their components make solar thermal power plants a leading technology for clean energy production. Added to this are the small area required, mostly on unproductive land, and the use of recyclable materials such as concrete, steel and glass.

Oil and gas will remain the world’s primary energy sources for many years to come. Rapidly rising global demand, limited resources and investments necessary for support make it difficult to predict the cost and supply security. At an oil price above 70 dollars, large-scale solar thermal power plants are already competitive today compared to oil-fired power plants. At an oil price from 130 US dollars upwards, solar thermal plants are also more economical than gas-fired open cycle power plants.

A further advantage: Since the feedstock costs nothing, the expenditure for solar plants can be reliably calculated in the long term. Thermal energy storages or combinations with conventional power plants can increase the energy supply over a long period. In this way, the potential of the sun can in future be used efficiently on a large scale for the generation of power and process steam. The possibility of transporting power over many thousands of kilometres can make solar energy an important component in transcontinental energy concepts.