OHL Gutermuth from Altenstadt (Germany) supplies specialty valves to almost all the major solar projects around the world. Thanks to its many years of experience in the solar industry, the company says it can guarantee unparalleled safety with its engineered valves, “even under the most extreme conditions.”
Solar energy is an integral part of a sustainable future and is becoming more and more important. “Throughout the world, the focus is increasingly being placed on solar technology, which is now much more cost-efficient thanks to the latest state-of-the-art technology. The plants are becoming larger and more complex, and this is precisely why it is more important than ever to ensure that safety considerations are not neglected”, the company states.
The most stringent demands must be placed on the reliability of all the components, not least on the valves that are used. For the solar sector, OHL Gutermuth developed an innova-tive series of valves at an early stage. “Our customers have repeatedly confirmed that our tailor-made solutions ensure an unparalleled level of safety, whether in the field of CSP (concentrated solar power), which essentially consists of parabolic trough systems, or mol-ten salt tower systems. At the extremely high temperatures of up to 780 degrees and pres-sures of up to 180 bar, special pumps, tanks and heat exchangers are particularly important, and these all require special customised valves.”
Dynamic market
Solar plants tend to be located where there are not only a large number of hours of sunshine throughout the year, but also a clear, unpol-luted climate. The world’s largest plant currently in operation is located near Marrakech in Morocco with a capacity of 1000 MW. An even larger facility is being built in Dubai.
OHL Gutermuth has delivered hundreds of high-pressure butterfly valves to both projects in nominal sizes up to 64” and with pressure ranges up to ANSI CLASS 1500#.
“The market for modern solar plants is particularly dynamic. Numerous operators, including state-owned corporations, are highly active in this sector. The world’s largest is China with the state-run POWERCHINA group. For large-scale projects in particular, long-term costing over many years is essential to ensure profitability, hence the preference for high-quality, low-maintenance valves.”
Highest safety level
All valves supplied by OHL Gutermuth are made exclusively in the company’s own production facilities. From design to production to testing, everything is carried out at OHL Gutermuth in Germany. “This guarantees both the highest level of safety and reliability, and maximum flexibility for whatever special solutions and modifications the customer requires. Instead of simply developing products and putting them on the market, completely individual, tailor-made valves are developed that perfectly meet the requirements of the customer and their specific application. Only in this way can the highest level of sustainable safety and reliability be ensured.”
