Solar power plant SES-5 (disassembled)

Photos

  • Солнечная электростанция (СЭС-5). Photo 1
  • Солнечная электростанция (СЭС-5). Photo 2
  • Солнечная электростанция (СЭС-5). Photo 3

Description

The solar thermal power plant SES-5, located five kilometers southeast of Shchelkino in Crimea, was a dismantled tower-type structure with an installed capacity of 5 MW. It was the first solar power plant of this type in the USSR, designed with the participation of thirty design organizations. The general designer was the Riga branch of the All-Union State Research and Design Institute for the design of nuclear power plants and large fuel and energy complexes "Atomteploelectroproekt", now known as JSC "Siltumelektroprojekts" (AS "Siltumelektroprojekts") in Latvia.

The main purpose of operating SES-5 was to study the operating features of specific equipment and gain experience in using all plant systems. Construction began in 1981 and was completed in 1986, with a total cost of about 29 million rubles. However, in January 1995, due to financial difficulties and difficulties in maintaining optical equipment, SES-5 was closed. In subsequent years, in 2005 and 2008, parts of the station were dismantled and processed for scrap metal, and wind turbines were installed on the site.

One of the important parts of the station were optical sensors placed in front of each heliostat on special piles. They were a cylinder with several photodiodes and electronic boards that generated signals about the position of the mirror. In the late 1980s there was an attempt to improve these sensors using an aluminum housing and an improved power cable.

Thus, SES-5 was a significant experimental solar energy project in the USSR, which, despite its closure, left important scientific and technical developments in the field of solar energy use.

In January 1995, due to a lack of funding and difficulties in maintaining optical equipment, as well as due to the loss of reflectivity of the mirrors after 10 years of operation, it was decided to close SES-5.

In 2005, the solar power plant tower was dismantled for scrap metal.

In 2008, two wind generators with a capacity of 650 kW each were installed on the territory of the station.

In 2012, a fire tank with a volume of 5,000 m³ was also cut into scrap metal.

Comments

Login to write a comment