Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas - Plataforma Solar de Almería

http://www.ciemat.es
http://www.psa.es

The Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) is a Public Spanish Organism owned by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Its work deals with the research and technological development on energy (including Renewable Energies) and environmental related subjects. CIEMAT has six departments, five of them are for research and development and an additional one devoted to the study of future uses of the energy. CIEMAT objectives are the promotion and execution of technological R&D projects in the areas of energy and environment and to advise national authorities in strategic issues related with energy and environment.

One of CIEMAT's departments is Renewable Energies (DER) where different R+D programmes are carried out. The Solar Energy Programme of CIEMAT includes the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) as main national research center. Formally considered as a European Large Scientific Installation, the Plataforma Solar de Almería is also the largest European Laboratory for solar energy applications. The PSA participates actively in demonstrative applications of different solar technologies, at national and international levels, with the main objective to improve the technology cost and efficiency and make possible the efficient collection of solar energy for electricity production, development of chemical applications, development and testing of materials under extreme conditions, desalination, bioclimatic applications, etc.

Instalaciones INABENSA, S.A.

http://www.inabensa.es
http://www.abengoa.es

Instalaciones Inabensa, S.A. (INABENSA) is a company belonging to ABENGOA group. ABENGOA is an applied engineering and capital equipment company which promotes, carries out and manages infrastructure "turn-key" projects in the several fields. ABENGOA's present objectives are centred mainly on two large areas: conventional products (this is the area traditionally covered by ABENGOA where results are achieved through project margins of execution) and integrated products (where activities are carried out in markets whose growth potential depends on the capacity for joining development of financing, technology and management).

INABENSA is a specialized company with a valuable experience in MV and LV cabinets and panels (including the necessary engineering, design and assembly), electromechanical and instrumentation installations, maintenance activities and industrial and metallic structures settings. Collaborations in wind energy projects and other projects concerning solar thermal energy are currently underway. The company counts with large experience in research and development projects in collaboration with other companies and public research centres.

AO SOL Energias Renováveis, Lda.

http://www.aosol.pt

AOSOL - ENERGIAS RENOVÁVEIS, Lda, is a private Portuguese company, located near Lisbon, manufacturer of solar energy collectors of the non-evacuated compound parabolic concentrator type with applications in water heating, heating and cooling of buildings and steam production for industry. The technology was awarded with a national price within the National Program for new industrial ideas sponsored by the Portuguese Government. AO SOL was created in 1998 to be a manufacturer of CPC solar concentrators. These are stationary and have low cost, with the same ease of installation as conventional flat plates and a higher thermal performance. At present AO SOL is owned by GALP POWER, member of the holding GALP ENERGIA, the Portuguese Oil and Gas Group, to develop solar thermal use in Portugal. This recent (June2000) strategic decision of GALP to purchase AO SOL establishes a new and very important phase for both companies and for the development of Solar Energy in Portugal. It has already allowed AO SOL to install itself in a new and much larger production facility in a 3500 m2 building belonging to GALP.

National Technical University of Athens

http://www.ntua.gr
http://www.metal.ntua.gr/home-en.html

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is the oldest and most prestigious educational institution of Greece in the field of technology and has contributed unceasingly to the country's scientific, technical and economic development since its foundation in 1836. The academic level of the faculty is exceptionally high, as all of its members have studied to an advanced level both in Greece and abroad, published a considerable number of papers in scientific journals and actively participated in sponsored research programs. Over the years, NTUA researchers established the excellence of the University in international R&D efforts. Currently, NTUA attracts funding for research from National and European sources that place it on the top of all Greek Academic and Research Institutions. Research is carried out by about 100 laboratories belonging to the various Departments and Sections of the institution.

The Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering is part of the Sector of Materials Science and Engineering in the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens. The Laboratory was founded in 1992 and today has developed as one of the leading world laboratories in the area of the study of the interaction among microorganisms and pollutants, in particular on the subject of Biosorption with significant contribution to the state of the art. Environmental biotechnology is a good general descriptor for the case of the research work carried out in the laboratory. State of the art facilities help the laboratory members in their efforts: Multi detector Capillary Gas Chromatography, Ion Chromatography, Plasma Spectroscopy, Electron Microscopy, and EDAX Microanalysis, are examples of available equipment. Pilot technology facilities include fully automated Bioengineering Fermentors, Rotating Biological Contactors, Continuous Moving Bed Sand Filter Reactors capable of supporting biological growth, Rotary Drum Bological Composting Reactor, Adsorption Reactors, Walk in constant temperature room, and other pilot scale equipments. [More information, PDF(146KB)]

Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial

http://www.ineti.pt

INETI is a R,D&D institution, belonging to the Ministry of Economy of Portugal, with the specific task of bridging over, in scientific terms, to industry in all areas of engineering and technology. It is divided into several departments, covering wide areas of activity like Materials Science, Information and Electronics, Non Nuclear Energy, Environment, Biotechnology and Chemistry. The existing guidelines for R&D activities within INETI are to contribute for the reduction and diversification of energy sources, given the historical dependency of Portugal from a preponderant source of energy (oil) and to increment connections between the institute, the industry and other institutions of the UE, in order to overcome old barriers and to provide adequate answers to the present and future problems of industry.

The Renewable Energies Department (DER, Departamento de Energias Renováveis), which will be directly involved in the present project, has about 60 people and many years of R&D experience in the following areas: Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Wave Energy and Bio Energy. The direct work will be performed by the Active Solar Systems group dedicated to several subjects in the thermal and photovoltaic applications of Solar Energy, covering the low, medium and high temperature applications. Some examples of these applications are: solar drying, greenhouse heating, solar ponds, low concentration non-imaging CPC type optics, solar collectors and solar systems testing, radiation statistics and design of solar systems, second stage concentrators, water pumping, electricity storage, illumination, solar detoxification, etc.

CAJAMAR - Caja Rural Intermediterránea

http://www.cajamar.es

CAJAMAR is a co-operation bank. It was founded as Caja Rural de Almería in 1963, and is nowadays (as Caja Rural Intermediterránea) the leader banking organization in the province of Almería, though its activity extends to other provinces. In 2000, it had 2,200 employees and 560 offices.

Cajamar engagement in the agricultural sector led to the creation of its agricultural research department, Estación Experimental "Las Palmerillas" (http://www.laspalmerillas.cajamar.es), in 1975, with the aim of researching new technologies and environmental issues to improve the efficiency of greenhouse intensive horticulture production and fruticulture systems adequate to the Mediterranean and subtropical climates. In order to promote the economic development of the sector, a big effort is made in the spreading of results and, when being satisfactory, the assessment of subsidies to the farmers for their application. This latter aspect was further enhanced in 1998 with the creation of the Instituto Cajamar (http://www.instituto.larural.es), which manages the socioeconomical, cultural and educational activites. Both Las Palmerillas and Instituto Cajamar are non-profit institutions financed by the Co-operative Promotion Fund of Cajamar. At present, a growing effort is made to harmonize rural economy and environment. The goal is to achieve sustainable development of the area. Water is clearly the most vital resource in the Mediterranean area. Therefore, a big part of our research concerns water, its availability and the improvement in its sustainable use.

Hellenic Saltworks, S.A.

http://www.saltworks.gr

The company HELLENIC SALTWORKS S.A. was founded in January 1989 aiming at developing, operating and exploiting the existing saltworks of the country. The new formed company absorbed the "MESSOLONGHI SALTWORKS S.A." a state owned company and the seven saltworks of the Greek State, which were administered directly by the Ministry of Development untill then. These saltworks were: Saltworks of Kitros Pierias, Kalloni and Polichnitos on the Island of Lesvos, Aggelohori in Thessaloniki, Messi Komotini, N.Kessani Xanthi and Milos.

Research is an important activity for the company with the main objectives of productivity and product quality optimization, according to market demands. In the past it has been successfully addressed projects such as the design and production of a special quality products under the financing of the PAVE program of Ministry of Industry. Other project examples were a geochemical research program to analyze the relation of crystalizer's and evaporating pond's floor chemical composition with the product quality, a fish culture program and the design and reconstruction of the Kalloni Saltworks (Lesvos island).

Comunidad de Regantes Las Cuatro Vegas de Almería

The cooperative "Comunidad de Regantes Las Cuatro Vegas de Almería", is a community of water users located in Almería (Spain), which was legally established in 1993 by a formal resolution of the Southern Spanish Hydrografical Confederation. The legal status of the Cooperative, founded to provide water to irrigation purposes in the area of Bajo Andarax, is a non-profit institution to reuse in agriculture the sewage water from the city of Almería. At present the Cooperative is constituted by 1.100 exploitations with an irrigated surface of about 1.500 hectares, being foreseen to increase water irrigation up to about 3000 hectares in the next 2 years. Main activity of the cooperative is not only the sewage water treatment to use it to agriculture irrigation, but also to perform continuous civil works to water distribution improvements and to address water saving programmes.

In its short life CUATROVEGAS has become a reference organization at both national and international levels in the reutilization of treated sewage water. The importance of the activity carried out by the cooperative is shown by both the multiple visits from users and professionals from very divers part of the world (Japan, China, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, etc.) who wants to know about the reutilization process and the multiple invitations to CUATROVEGAS to present its experience in Congresses, Workshops, Symposia and private events related to this matter.

WEIR Entropie, S.A.

http://www.entropie.com
http://www.weirtechna.com

ENTROPIE is a French engineering company specialised in thermal and mechanical fluids, belonging (100 %) to the WEIR group. The WEIR GROUP PLC's founded in 1871 and established in Glasgow (Scotland) is a world leader in desalination, maintenance of solid products, liquid gas conditioning, drilling turbines and robotic processes. It is also today one of the world's top pump makers, with an extensive global network of manufacturing plants and service operations.

WEIR strategy is to build on its successful range of Engineered Products, designed and manufactured to suit specific projects, and to develop its Engineering Service activities, which provide high quality maintenance, repair and technical services to the aftermarket for its own and other manufacturer's product. It sustains a leading presence in the international marketplace by concentrating on specialist niches, where the mastery of more difficult technology - be it in the design of products and systems or manufacturing techniques - can give it a competitive edge.

Within the WEIR Group, ENTROPIE, together with other two companies (Weir Westgarth and Weir Envig) is the company specialized in the design, supply and turnkey contract management for engineering projects involving water, effluent and thermal processes, being desalination one of the most important activities. ENTROPIE is recognized as world leader in its field, being responsible for many "firsts", confirming its reputation as pioneer in new technology. ENTROPIE and its branches develop and design in detail the components that they manufacture or purchase, they are in charge of the supply, set-up and after-sale service of these components. ENTROPIE is the dealer for Europe and North Africa of another branch from the WEIR group, the company Weir Westgarth Ltd, one of the pioneers of seawater desalination (Multi-effect process and Reverse osmosis) and specialist of water treatment by membrane techniques (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis). The company is also the exclusive dealer for France of the company BUSS SMS, specialist of evaporators and thin layer and extraction dryers.