5-6 May 2026, Almería – the GREENOLIVE consortium met for its second face-to-face gathering. The two-day executive meeting was hosted by CIEMAT at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), located in the Tabernas Desert of Andalusia, Spain.
Attended by all partners, the meeting opened on Tuesday 5 May with a technical session that covered:
- WP2 (led by R2M Solutions): communication and dissemination strategy, outlining upcoming milestones for project visibility across the Mediterranean
- WP3 (led by CIEMAT): technical development of the power-to-heat system, focusing on integration of the PV plant with electric heaters and thermal storage
- WP4 (led by Çukurova University): thermal energy storage and testing, including characterisation work and testing plans for the packed-bed system
The afternoon included a guided tour of the PSA solar facilities, including its concentrating solar technology test infrastructure.
On Wednesday 6 May, the consortium continued with sessions on WP5 (led by Universitat de Barcelona), covering life cycle assessment and costing, followed by WP6 (led by Çukurova University), which focused on replication activities, lab‑scale replicas in Egypt and Palestine, and capacity building. eCampus University, as project coordinator, provided a general overview of administrative and financial aspects.
A dedicated session was held for partners to present their lists of equipment to be purchased, with timetables for procurement. Key items include thermal energy storage materials, sensors, and instrumentation.
The technical discussions included a review of the first draft of the piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID), presented by eCampus University. The consortium worked through a configuration issue involving the pump in the thermal energy storage loop, devising a revised circuit to address it. Çukurova University presented several manufacturers solutions for the electric heaters; not all were suitable for the project’s specific operating conditions, and the evaluation is ongoing.
The meeting closed with a visit to a local greenhouse and research centre of the University of Almería, followed by a social dinner. The consortium left Almería with alignment on next steps and deliverables.
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