What FRENELL GmbH does

FRENELL GmbH is a privately-held, founder-managed German engineering company headquartered in Karlsruhe that develops, builds, and operates Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants based on its proprietary Direct Molten Salt technology. The technology uses flat glass-based reflectors focused onto vacuum-insulated absorber tubes to heat molten nitrate salts directly to up to 550°C in the collector array, with modular insulated tanks providing thermal storage sized for up to 20 hours of full-load electricity generation. The integrated system — collector field, thermal storage, and a steam-turbine power block — is designed to deliver dispatchable, carbon-free baseload power capable of grid frequency stabilization and black-start, with a stated technical lifetime of more than 40 years.

The company's offering spans the full project lifecycle: project development (site identification, yield modeling, financing support), turnkey EPC construction of the solar field with in-house manufactured key components, and ongoing technical operations management for plant owners. Reference projects include the 1.4 MW PE1 demonstration plant in Spain (2009), the 30 MW PE2 in southern Spain (financed 2010, operating successfully for 10 years), the 4 MW SolInPar plant in Sicily (commissioned summer 2021), the 4 MW Bilancia 1 project in Sicily (financed 2021), and the Liddell solar field in Australia (handed over 2012). Commercial counterparties are concentrated among repeat Swiss institutional investors (EBL, Swiss Life Management) and a small number of utility/industrial off-takers.

FRENELL's go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting project developers, EPC contractors, institutional investors, and power plant operators in sun-rich markets. Pricing is project-by-project, with current operational presence in Germany (HQ), Spain, Italy (Sicily), and Australia, and stated expansion ambitions for Mexico, the USA, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The company has 11-50 employees, no disclosed external funding rounds, and is led by co-founders Martin Selig (CEO) and Dr. Max Mertins (CTO), both with 15+ years of continuous tenure.

Name

FRENELL GmbH

Legal name

Frenell GmbH

Website

https://frenell.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FRENELL GmbH is a German engineering company that designs, builds, and operates Concentrated Solar Power plants using proprietary Direct Molten Salt technology with integrated thermal storage, serving project developers, institutional investors, and energy-intensive off-takers in sun-rich markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Infrastructure

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

CSP Plant Development & EPC (Parabolic Trough, Tower, Linear Fresnel, Dish) (EUACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) EPC (EUAEAAAH), Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

Keywords

• Concentrated solar power
• Thermal energy storage
• Solar power plants
• Molten salt technology
• Renewable energy infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Karlsruhe

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Project Development Services: FRENELL develops solar projects in selected target markets independently or in collaboration with local project developers and investors, providing services including site identification, layout planning, energy yield calculations, financing models, and EPC contract development.
2. Turnkey CSP Construction: FRENELL takes full responsibility for planning, procurement and assembly of solar arrays as EPC contractor, including series manufacture of key components, commissioning, and performance verification. Revenue from construction contracts for solar field components.
3. Technical Operations Management: Ongoing technical operations management including operations management, maintenance and budget plans, performance monitoring, 24-hour deployment planning, preventive and reactive maintenance for CSP power plants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FRENELL GmbH develops and delivers Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants based on linear Fresnel collectors with integrated thermal energy storage. The company develops, engineers, constructs (EPC), and operates utility-scale CSP power plants for project developers, utilities, and energy-intensive industries. Its proprietary Direct Molten Salt technology heats molten nitrate salts directly in the collector array to 550°C and stores them for up to 20 hours of full-load electricity generation, enabling 24/7 carbon-free baseload power.

Product overview

FRENELL GmbH offers a unified Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology portfolio centered on its Direct Molten Salt Technology platform. The system integrates three core components: a modular Solar Field/Collector System, Thermal Energy Storage Tanks, and a Power Plant Block with steam turbines. This integrated approach enables 24/7 baseload power generation with storage capacities of up to 20 hours. FRENELL provides services spanning the entire value chain including Project Development, Turnkey Construction, and Technical Operations Management. The company operates several reference projects including PE1, PE2 (30 MW in Spain), SolInPar and Bilancia (4 MW in Sicily), and LIDDELL (Australia).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FRENELL CSP Power Plants Concentrated Solar Power plants using linear Fresnel collectors and Direct Molten Salt thermal storage, delivered as integrated baseload power generation systems for project developers, investors, and utilities in sun-rich markets.
• Project Development Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-5x lower investment costs than nuclear base load plants
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SENER: Spanish engineering group that developed the SENERtrough linear Fresnel collector and has built commercial CSP plants. Directly comparable to FRENELL as a CSP technology provider with linear Fresnel heritage and EPC capability.
• BrightSource Energy: US-based CSP developer using power tower technology with thermal storage for utility-scale solar plants. Directly comparable as a CSP technology provider targeting utility-scale projects with integrated energy storage.
• SolarReserve: Developer of molten-salt CSP plants with integrated thermal storage, targeting utility-scale and 24/7 dispatchable solar. Comparable to FRENELL in molten-salt storage architecture and project development approach.
• Aalborg CSP: Danish CSP technology company providing boiler and thermal storage systems for concentrated solar plants. Directly comparable to FRENELL as a specialized CSP technology and component supplier with similar customer base.
• TSK: Spanish EPC contractor specialized in CSP and solar thermal power plants. Directly comparable to FRENELL as an EPC contractor for CSP projects, particularly in Spain and MENA markets.

Broad incumbents

• Abengoa: Historically one of the largest CSP EPC and technology providers globally, with multiple commercial parabolic trough and tower plants. Comparable to FRENELL as a full-scope CSP project developer and EPC contractor, though broader and financially distressed.
• Acciona Energía: Spanish renewable energy major with operational CSP plants (e.g., Nevada Solar One). Comparable to FRENELL as a CSP owner/operator in sun-rich geographies, though much larger and diversified across other renewables.
• ENGIE: Global energy major with operational CSP assets (e.g., NOOR Ouarzazate complex in Morocco). Comparable to FRENELL as a developer/operator of utility-scale CSP with thermal storage in sun-rich markets.
• Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure: Owner and operator of renewable energy infrastructure including concentrated solar. Comparable to FRENELL in owning and operating CSP assets with long-term PPAs, particularly in sun-rich geographies.

Regional players

• Masdar: UAE-based renewable energy developer and investor with major CSP project exposure in the Middle East. Comparable to FRENELL as a CSP project investor/developer in sun-rich geographies where FRENELL is targeting expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/frenellgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frenell-gmbh
• Xx.com/FRENELLsolar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FRENELL GmbH