Green energy
ABB has been selected by independent power producer ContourGlobal to upgrade the control systems at four Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) facilities in southwest Spain. The modernisation effort will enhance the secure and efficient integration of renewable energy into the national grid, supporting Europe’s broader transition to sustainable power.
The plants’ existing automation systems, in operation for more than a decade, will be migrated to ABB Ability™ Symphony® Plus SCADA and supported by ABB’s AC500 and AC 800M platforms. This new control architecture will deliver scalable, high-performance functionality designed to strengthen long-term system availability while significantly improving cyber security.
A key component of the upgrade is ABB’s advanced solar tracking technology. The system calculates the sun’s position every 480 milliseconds with a precision of 0.0001 degrees, enabling continuous realignment of 7,400 mirrors across the facilities. This maximises yield while compensating for terrain tilt, mechanical drift and changing weather conditions.
ABB’s modernisation approach offers a flexible, low-disruption pathway for ContourGlobal’s CSP assets. The ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party equipment and execute the changeover in phases minimises downtime and ensures that operational efficiency is maintained throughout the transition.
CSP technology plays a vital role in Europe’s evolving energy landscape by delivering dispatchable electricity that complements variable-output renewables. The European Union continues to invest in CSP research to improve efficiency and support the development of next-generation facilities.
Unlike photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight directly into electricity, CSP plants use mirrors to focus solar energy onto a receiver. The resulting heat warms a fluid that produces steam to drive a turbine—an approach that can incorporate energy storage and allow power generation even after sunset.
“Modernising automation assets is just as important as installing new ones if we are to build a secure and sustainable energy system,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “Through our expertise in automation, electrification and digitalisation, we’re helping operators like ContourGlobal extend the life and performance of their facilities and deliver reliable renewable power to the grid.”
Across the four sites, ABB’s scope includes an integrated control and data management architecture featuring Symphony® Plus SCADA, S+ Historian, AC 800M control cabinets and AC500 local solar field controllers. The upgrade also incorporates advanced cyber security protections, such as automated backups, certified patching and antivirus management, to strengthen system integrity and compliance.
The ContourGlobal plants are in Majadas, approximately 210 kilometers from Madrid; in Orellana, about 300 kilometers from Madrid; and in Palma del Río near Seville, where Solar Fields 1 and 2 will also be modernised. Project completion is scheduled for February 2027.
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