The project Air-based Solar Thermal Electricity for efficient Renewable energy Integration & Compressed Air Energy Storage  (ASTERIx-CAESar) has been awarded and financed under Horizon Europe program.

ASTERIx-CAESar, with a duration period of 48 months, aims to develop a novel high-efficiency solar thermal power plant concept with an integrated electricity storage solution, by combining air-based central receiver Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) to maximize conversion efficiency and power grid energy management, thus enabling a new operation strategy and business models.

The consortium is formed by 17 partners including undación CENER, CIEMAT, Universidad de Sevilla, Doosan Skoda Power SRO, Universita Degli Studi Roma Tre, Fraunhofer, Clancy Haussler Rita, Aalborg CSP AS, European Turbine Network, Fundación IMDEA Energía, Innovation therm technologies SL, Pritzkow Walter Erich Christian, Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (HEDNO), Engionic Femto Gratings GMBH,  APRIA Systems SL, Softinway Switzerland LLC, and Bluebox Energy LTD., each of whom will be in charge of different tasks of the project.

In this sense, Apria will be in charge of the design, construction & start-up of an ERD+RO pilot at PSA. Carrying out the process flow diagram, system layout, construction, O&M manual, installation, support for the operation, and evaluation of the results.