With the CSP Yield Optimisation Conference Europe (31 May - 1 June, Seville) almost ready to open its doors, organisers CSP Today are delighted to announce the addition of global technology and automation specialists ABB to the line-up of experts.

ABB join current hosts, Idener, IDOM, and Red Eléctrica de España, covering major talking points like controls, dispatchibility and layout/design considerations.

As recent research has shown that the combination of initial investment and operations and maintenance expenses now account for 57% of the total lifecycle plant cost, optimisation for CSP is a crucial issue. Optimisation through control systems can be a big win for the industry, a fact that ABB are keen to stress. "Faced with ever-increasing competition, utilities and IPPs are constantly striving to optimise plant operation and life cycle costs - as well as reduce emissions of their plant investments" said ABB. "They search for powerful diagnostic and optimization tools to identify performance deviations so that corrective action can be introduced early. In addition, these tools reduce the maintenance effort for all plant equipment, extend the life of critical capital equipment, and increase the utilisation of the existing asset base."

At the conference, ABB will be leading a discussion on control systems for O&M optimisation. The company will be talking about its own in-the-field experience, focusing on "CSP operation, maintenance and asset lifecycle, through diagnosis, monitoring, prediction, simulation and optimisation with advanced control and information management systems." The benefits of spending time on O&M controls are clear: "higher plant efficiencies and expected performance of assets, improved total plant availability and productivity."

The CSP Yield Optimisation Conference Europe discusses how to maximise your CSP plant output through improved balance of plant engineering. A packed agenda will examine in detail every aspect of a new and existing plant, from design and planning to component selection, from construction and commissioning to operation and maintenance. Get the view of CSP experts from Abengoa, Acciona, Torresol Energy, Siemens, DLR, Foster Wheeler, Idener and many more.

If you want to join ABB at the conference, and discuss control systems for the optimisation of CSP plant O&M, go to the website: www.csptoday.com/optimisationeurope or contact Matt Carr by e-mail (matt@csptoday.com) or by phone (+44 (0) 207 375 7248)