Programme of R&D activities between research groups from universities and research entities of the “Comunidad de Madrid” in the modality of Programme of R&D activities in Technologies 2024 (Ref: TEC-2024/ECO-116).

Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy (ACES or High Concentration Solar Energy) represents a sector of great importance in Spain in the fields of industry, energy and R&D. Of the 6,500 MW installed worldwide by the end of 2023, 2,300 MW are operating in Spain, and Spanish companies are leading or participating in a large part of the projects in countries such as the USA, China, South Africa, Chile, the United Arab

Emirates and Morocco. However, one of the characteristics of ACES is its capacity to be integrated in a wide variety of thermal fluids and in a wide range of temperatures, which allows it to extend its scope of application beyond electricity production to new challenges in industrial thermal processes that are difficult to electrify and to hydrogen production processes and sustainable fuels with solarized thermochemical reactors. The net-zero emission targets for the years 2040 and 2050 pose a niche opportunity for the

important R&D and industry of the ACES sector in Spain. ACES4NET0 is framed within this challenge and adds value to the legacy and important results coming from the previous programs SOLGEMAC-CM (S2009/ENE-1617), ALCCONES-CM (S2013-MAE-2985) and ACES2030-CM (S2018/EMT4319). The collaboration structure fosters synergy between facilities and laboratories such as heliostat fields and Fresnel concentrators, as well as high-flux solar simulators, located in Madrid, Móstoles, Getafe and Leganés, which allow addressing developments up to technology readiness levels (TRL) 5-6. Research in the field of materials for solar receivers and reactors, energy storage, thermochemical cycles and thermal fluids is carried out in several synthesis and characterization laboratories. The program is complemented by a set of equipment and software for advanced computing and simulation in solar concentrating optics, heat transfer and process analysis. ACES4NET0 is developed in three main objectives:

Objective 1. Develop and improve unique facilities and specialized training in Comunidad de Madrid in the area of solar concentration. In this objective, it is planned to incorporate disruptive enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and digitalization aimed at improving the performance of facilities and characterization methodologies, communications, design of new materials and obtaining digital twins.

Objective 2. Address the development of materials and components, as well as the analysis of the integration of concentrating solar thermal energy in hybrid processes with electricity, and in thermal processes of steam generation, calcination and particle heating, or in air heating for drying and industrial processes.

Objective 3. Addresses the development of materials, chemical reactors, their characterization both at laboratory scale and in pilots with solar simulators and with linear and point focus solar concentrators, and the study of the integration and change of scale required within the roadmap of the first demonstrators to produce hydrogen and synthetic fuels.

Partners: IMDEA Energy Institute (Coordinator), URJC, CSIC. UPM, UC3M, UNED, CIEMAT, Protermosolar, Repsol, Empresarios Agrupados, AELIUS Energies, TEWER Ingeniería, Grupo COX, FERSISOLAR, SOLATOM, SISTEM-CPS

Funding Institution/Program: Comunidad de Madrid/Program of R&D activities between research groups in Technology 2024.

Period: January 2025-December 2028

Principal researcher: Dr. Manuel Romero / Dr. José González