Seville, 24 October 2007. The Focus-Abengoa Foundation and Abengoa Solar today opened the first edition of the World Solar Power 2007 conference at the Hospital de los Venerables, the Foundation’s headquarters.

From the 24 to 26 October, the Focus-Abengoa Foundation will host the world’s leading experts on solar energy, including scientists, researchers, technology company managers, construction and electricity companies, and financial institutions from around the world, who will analyse and discuss the essential issues facing the fast growing sector. The conference will focus on technologies for constructing large solar energy plants.

Solar energy is already a reality and a proven and mature solution at a commercial level both for distributed generation (small roof based facilities) as well as for large electricity plants connected to the network, which are capable of substituting emission-producing, fossil fuel electricity plants. Santiago Seage, Chairman of Abengoa Solar, used the opening session to highlight the role that large solar plants can play in the fight against climate change. "High temperature thermosolar technology allows us to construct plants that can produce tens or even hundreds of megawatts, equal to a combined cycle plant, but which avoid emitting CO2 and other particles that contribute to climate change, and which can be easily managed and integrated into electricity networks. This is an unrivalled opportunity for countries that are lucky enough to benefit from sufficient solar radiation to take advantage of".

In fact there are currently projects for large plants being developed or under construction in Spain, southern Europe, United States, North Africa and the Middle East. If all the projects under development come to fruition, they will produce 6,000 megawatts of energy from clean plants from an investment of more than €20 billion. Each of these plants will have a capacity of tens or hundreds of megawatts. An average sized 100 megawatt plant would require an investment of €400 million. Such a plant would produce electricity to supply 55,000 homes and would reduce CO2 emissions by 90,000 tonnes per year.

New projects at Abengoa Solar

Santiago Seage also announced a strong increase in the company’s commitment to solar energy plants. "We are investing two billion Euros in solar plants, subject to the necessary financing, which includes the 300 megawatt Solúcar platform in Sanlúcar la Mayor which will represent an investment of 1.2 billion, two plants in Écija with a total of 100 megawatts and an investment of nearly 600 million, an integrated combined cycle solar plant in Algeria and various photovoltaic plants in different locations around Spain. Furthermore, we are participating in the construction of an additional plant integrated into a combined cycle system in Morocco". Of these two billion Euros, 500 million are already constructed or under construction. Under the Solúcar platform, the PS-10 plant, the world’s leading commercial solar power tower, has been operating since the start of this year. The PS-20 next to it has already reached 165 metres tall and its construction is highly advanced. This year we have also begun the construction of two 50 megawatt plants, Solnova 1 and Solnova 3. "This plan involves significant technical work. We are also actively working with several financial institutions to arrange the necessary financing for the plan".

The Chairman of Abengoa Solar announced the construction of two 50 megawatt plants in Écija, a town in the province of Seville. "This new solar platform will have the capacity to produce 100 megawatts from solar energy in addition to the 300 megawatts from the Solúcar platform that we are already building" he stated.

Seage added that "to this figure we need to add a further investment of another 50 million in research and development in the coming years, which will ensure that we are a leading player in the development of clean energy. Solar energy is a developing industry and to improve the technology and lower costs we have to invest in R&D. In fact we have more than 40 people working in R&D that are collaborating with the relevant research centres in each specialist area".

Abengoa Solar is the Abengoa company dedicated to developing and applying technologies for producing energy from the sun. Abengoa Solar uses both photovoltaic and high temperature thermosolar technology.

Abengoa is a technology company that applies innovative solutions to sustainable development in the infrastructures, environment and energy sectors. It is a publicly listed company with a market capitalisation in excess of €2.500 billion (23/10/2007) and it has a presence in more than 70 countries in which it operates with its five business groups: Solar, Bio-energy, Environmental Services, Information Technologies, and Industrial Construction and Engineering. (www.abengoa.com).

The Focus-Abengoa Foundation was started in 1982 as a result of the cultural work begun in 1972 by Abengoa with the publication of the works Temas Sevillanos (Themes of Seville) and Iconografía de Sevilla (Iconography of Seville). A collection of documents, books and recordings on the Kingdom of Seville and by Sevillian authors was created at the same time. This initial cultural work showed Abengoa’s directors the importance of the company’s involvement in activities that directly benefit society, beyond its core technology based work, and from this the Cultural Fund Foundation of Seville was created.