Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT

What Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT does

Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) is the largest research, development, and testing center in Europe dedicated to concentrated solar thermal (CST) technologies. It operates as an integrated R&D Division within the Energy Department of CIEMAT, a Spanish public research entity under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and is headquartered in Tabernas, Almería, Spain. PSA was founded in 1980 and has maintained a Hispano-German collaboration agreement with DLR (German Aerospace Center) since 1987, including a permanent DLR delegation on site. The facility is designated as a Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructure (ICTS), giving it transnational access status for European researchers.

PSA's technical core spans parabolic trough, central receiver, parabolic dish, and solar furnace systems, organized across seven research units covering linear-focus and point-focus thermosolar technologies, materials, thermal energy storage, solar fuel production, solar thermal applications, and solar water treatment. Nine specialized laboratories (GeoLab, RadLab, SRTLab, MaterLab, WATLAB, TESLAB, DESLAB, OCTLAB, POMELAB) support component characterization, durability testing, radiometry, desalination, and optical/photonic measurement. PSA does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded through public appropriations routed via CIEMAT, EU research programs, and bilateral collaboration agreements. Its primary counterparties are major Spanish solar firms (IBERDROLA, ABENGOA, SENER, ACCIONA), national and international universities, and European research consortia including SolLAB, EU-SOLARIS, and SolarPACES (IEA). Co-founded research outputs include the CIESOL joint center with the University of Almería (extended through 2025) and the European Doctorate School in Advanced Oxidation Processes.

Name

Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT

Legal name

Plataforma Solar de Almería - Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT)

Website

https://psa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) is Europe's largest R&D and testing center for concentrated solar thermal technologies, operating as a division of CIEMAT. It serves Spanish solar firms, universities, and European research consortia via public funding and bilateral collaboration agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Research Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Thermal & CSP Systems (Collectors, Receivers, Thermal Storage, CSP EPC) (EUAMABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

CSP Thermal Energy Storage & Heat Transfer Systems (Molten Salt, HTF, Receivers) (EUACAGAF), Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance) (EUAMABAN)

Keywords

• Concentrated solar power research
• Solar thermal energy testing
• Renewable energy R&D
• Solar concentrating systems
• Thermal energy storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Tabernas

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) is a major research, development, and testing center operated by CIEMAT, focused on concentrated solar thermal (CST) and related renewable energy technologies. The facility provides experimental infrastructure, laboratories, and pilot-scale solar plants for testing components, materials, and processes for solar thermal energy applications.

Product overview

Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) is a research facility of CIEMAT, operating as the largest R&D and testing center in Europe dedicated to concentrating solar technologies. The facility offers a comprehensive portfolio of seven research units covering linear and point focusing solar thermal technologies, materials development, thermal energy storage, solar fuel production, solar thermal applications, and solar water treatments. Additionally, PSA provides access to nine specialized laboratories (GeoLab, RadLab, SRTLab, MaterLab, WATLAB, TESLAB, DESLAB, OCTLAB, POMELAB) and extensive testing installations including parabolic trough collectors, central receiver systems, solar towers, dish systems, and solar furnaces for component testing and validation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CIESOL: Centro Mixto CIEMAT-UAL para la Investigación en Energía Solar - Joint research center with Universidad de Almería

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-50 young researchers trained annually in solar thermal technologies

Segments3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• DLR (German Aerospace Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Since 1987, PSA has operated under a Spanish-German collaboration agreement between CIEMAT and DLR. Currently regulated through Annex VI of the agreement, establishing a permanent DLR delegation at PSA. Collaboration commitment extends to December 2020.
• SolLAB (European Laboratory for Solar Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA is a founding member of this virtual laboratory bringing together the main European concentrated solar research institutes: PROMES-CNRS (France), DLR Solar Division (Germany), ETH Zurich, Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland), and CIEMAT.
• SolarPACES (IEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA actively participates in the SolarPACES program (Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems) of the International Energy Agency, exchanging information with homologous centers in USA, Mexico, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, European Commission, South Africa, Israel, Algeria, South Korea, Austria, and Egypt.
• CIESOL (CIEMAT-UAL Joint Research Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research center created in 2004 between CIEMAT-PSA and University of Almería. The collaboration was renewed and expanded in 2015 until 2025. Located in the Ciesol building on the Campus de La Cañada.
• IBERDROLAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntensive cooperation with major national companies interested in thermosolar technology development and commercialization.
• ABENGOAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntensive cooperation with major national companies interested in thermosolar technology development and commercialization.
• SENERmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntensive cooperation with major national companies interested in thermosolar technology development and commercialization.
• ACCIONAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntensive cooperation with major national companies interested in thermosolar technology development and commercialization.
• EU-SOLARIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA participates in the EU-SOLARIS European research consortium for solar infrastructure.
• University of Almería (UAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration enabling the joint Master program in Solar Energy and the CIESOL joint research center. Also supports PhD program management.
• European Solar School (ESES) - Dalarna UniversitynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA researchers teach the 'Solar Thermal Energy' course as part of the ESES Master's program organized by Dalarna University, Sweden.
• European Doctorate School in Advanced Oxidation ProcessesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA is a founding member since June 2014 of this European doctorate school promoting advanced oxidation processes research among young researchers.
• International University PartnersnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational cooperation agreements with universities including Complutense-Madrid, Dalarna-Sweden, Caddy Ayyad-Morocco, Antofagasta-Chile, Antioquia-Colombia, Polytechnic Timisoara-Romania, Autónoma de Nuevo León-Mexico, Benemerita Autónoma de Puebla-Mexico, Çukurova-Turkey, Tecnológico de Monterrey-Mexico, Hamm-Germany, CENIDET-Mexico, Salerno-Italy, Tras-os-Montes-Portugal, Isfahan-Iran, Polytechnic delle Marche-Italy, and Federal de Minas Gerais-Brazil.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CIC energiGUNE: Spanish energy research center focused on thermal energy storage, batteries, and hydrogen. Adjacent peer for PSA's thermal storage and solar fuels research units, with growing overlap in CSP+storage topics.

Direct peers

• ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development: Italian national research body operating the ENEA Casaccia solar research facilities for solar thermal and concentrating solar power. Compares to PSA as a publicly funded European CSP R&D center with national mission.
• Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI): Swiss federal research institute with solar thermal and thermochemical fuel research. SolLAB founding member alongside PSA, sharing interests in high-temperature solar chemistry and CSP.
• Sandia National Laboratories - National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF): US national lab test facility in Albuquerque for concentrating solar power components, heliostats, and receivers. Directly comparable scope of CSP component validation and solar thermal R&D to PSA's installations.
• PROMES-CNRS (Processes, Materials and Solar Energy): France's national CNRS laboratory for solar thermal research at Odeillo, including its THEMIS solar tower and solar furnace facilities. Founding SolLAB member alongside PSA, addressing identical CSP technology and storage questions.
• ETH Zurich - Renewable Energy Laboratory: Swiss federal institute's renewable energy research group at the Paul Scherrer Institut-linked ecosystem. SolLAB founding member addressing parabolic dish, concentrating solar, and energy systems research similar to PSA.
• DLR Institute of Solar Research: German Aerospace Center's solar research institute operating the Solar Tower Jülich and Plataforma Solar de Almería collaboration. Shares CSP technology stack (parabolic trough, central receiver, storage) with PSA via the 1987 Hispano-German agreement.

Regional players

• KAUST Solar Center: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology's solar research center with parabolic dish and concentrator PV programs in Saudi Arabia. Comparable CSP/dish technology focus but geographically focused on MENA markets.
• CSIRO - Energy: Australia's national science agency operating the Newcastle solar research facilities for concentrating solar thermal and solar fuels. Comparable scope to PSA but located in the Asia-Pacific region with no European overlap.

Broad incumbents

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): US national renewable energy laboratory covering solar PV, CSP, wind, and grid integration research. Overlaps with PSA on CSP and thermal storage but operates a far broader renewable portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/psaciemat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@plataformasolardealmeria
• Facebookfacebook.com/plataformasolardealmeria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psaciemat
• Instagraminstagram.com/psa.almeria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Plataforma Solar de Almería - CIEMAT