On 4 March 2026, the Powder2Power consortium held its 30-month Steering Committee and Executive Board meeting online, bringing together project partners to review recent progress and coordinate the next stages of the project.
During the meeting, partners presented the latest developments achieved over the past six months, covering activities related to pilot plant preparation, technology scale-up studies, system modelling, environmental and economic assessments, as well as dissemination and exploitation of project results.
- Progress in pilot plant preparation and component testing
Significant progress has been made toward the preparation of the experimental pilot at the Thémis solar tower research facility in Targasonne, France. The first tests of the solar receiver, carried out both with and without solar input, as well as the commissioning of secondary air injection systems designed to improve particle fluidisation within the receiver, have been accomplished. Work has also advanced on the small solar particle loop atop the Themis solar tower research facility, where cold tests were performed to validate key conveying components, including the screw conveyor, 11-metre-high vertical pneumatic transport system and L-valve. In parallel, progress has been made on the particle transport system, with procurement procedures ongoing for key components and installation activities scheduled in the coming months.
At ground level, installation activities for the pilot infrastructure are progressing. A protection shelter for power block components has been completed, and preparations are underway for the installation of electrical cabinets, sensors and the particle electrical heater. The heater itself was delivered to the Thémis site in December 2025.
- Advancing system design and scale-up studies
Partners also reported advances in the design of utility-scale particle-driven solar power plant configurations. Recent studies investigated plant layouts corresponding to thermal capacities of 60 MWth and 120 MWth, including configurations involving two solar towers and accounting for height constraints related to pneumatic particle conveying.
Further progress has been achieved in modelling the particle-to-sCO₂ heat exchanger, a key component of the future power plant. Simplified system models have been developed to be then compared with more detailed analyses of particle behaviour, including studies of particle mixing dynamics and residence times within the fluidised bed heat exchanger. These investigations contribute to refining the design of large-scale systems and will support future scientific publications and conference presentations.
- Developing techno-economic and environmental assessment tools
The consortium continues to develop advanced modelling tools to evaluate the technical, economic and environmental performance of future particle-driven solar power plants. Operational maps for the solar field, receiver and power block are currently being finalised and will feed into an integrated techno-economic model used to analyse different plant configurations. Initial cost assessments have been performed for a 50 MWe reference plant, while additional studies are exploring both 50 MWe and 100 MWe system configurations.
At the same time, work is progressing on optimisation models that will allow researchers to evaluate different operational strategies and system designs.
Environmental assessments are also advancing through the development of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) model, which will quantify the environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of particle-driven Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems. Current work focuses on collecting input data and refining modelling assumptions to improve the accuracy of the analysis.
- Dissemination and exploitation of project results
Several scientific publications and conference contributions related to Powder2Power technologies have been produced in recent months. These include research papers submitted to international conferences and journals (upcoming on our website), as well as presentations delivered at the SolarPACES 2025 conference (see our previous news on P2P several scientific contributions at SolarPACES 2025). Looking ahead, Powder2Power partners are preparing upcoming dissemination activities, where new project results are expected to be presented. In parallel, the consortium continues to work within the Horizon Results Booster programme (read more in our previous news on the Horizon Results Booster progress), focusing on the development of exploitation pathways for identified key project results. Current activities include refining market analyses, defining exploitation roadmaps and preparing business planning activities.
As the project enters its third year, the consortium will continue to focus on the integration and testing of the pilot infrastructure, the further development of modelling tools and the preparation of upcoming experimental campaigns leading toward the MW-scale demonstration.
The next in-person consortium meeting is planned for October 2026 in the French Pyrénées-Orientales, where partners will gather near the Thémis solar tower to review progress and observe ongoing pilot plant activities.
