Absolicon gets grant for solar thermal plant in Sweden

The Swedish Energy Agency has made a EUR-800,000 (USD 877,000) grant to Absolicon Solar Collector AB for what the latter says will be Europe’s largest solar thermal field for district heating with small concentrated parabolic troughs.

Absolicon’s founder Joakim Byström. Photographer: Lars Wahlström

The project in question will be realised at a site in the city of Harnosand at a total cost of about EUR 1.6 million. It is the result of a study called Future District Heating that was co-financed by Region Vasternorrland, certain firms and by the municipalities of Harnosand, Kramfors and Solleftea.

The demo plant is expected to be finalised next year and if the project is deemed successful, the city could eventually accommodate a larger system of this type, the announcement says.

“In Harnosand, a solar collector plant ten times as large as this demonstration plant and a seasonal warehouse that can store solar heat from summer to winter means that you will be able to completely stop burning fuels in the heating plant during the summer,” said Joakim Bystrom, CEO of Absolicon.