General overview

The PROMES laboratory is a CNRS Proprietary Unit (UPR 8521) related to the Institute of Engineering and Systems Sciences (INSIS), under agreement with the University of Perpignan via Domitia ( UPVD). The laboratory is located on three sites: Odeillo-Font Romeu (1 MW solar furnace of the CNRS), Targasonne (Thémis, 5 MW tower power plant, site of the Department Council of the Pyrénées Orientales) and Perpignan (Tecnosud). The laboratory brings together about 150 people from CNRS and UPVD around a federating subject, solar energy and its development as a source of energy and high temperatures. PROMES leads the laboratory of excellence (Labex) SOLSTICE (SOLAR: Sciences, Technologies, Innovations for Energy Conversion)

Management

The PROMES laboratory is managed by Françoise Massines.
The management team is composed of 3 Deputy Directors : Ludovic Charpentier, Emmanuel Guillot and Laurent Thomas. This team also includes Naoual Autones, the Administrator of the laboratory, Gilles Flamant, the Scientific Advisor.
Romie Lopez is the Management Assistant and Public Relations Manager.

Ludovic Charpentier
Deputy Director in charge of the scientific management of Odeillo

Emmanuel GuillotDeputy Director in charge of solar facilities

Laurent Thomas
Deputy Director in charge of the relations with the UPVD
Director of the “Energy-Environment” Research Federation FREE (FR 2043 CNRS/UPVD)

Naoual Autones
Administrator

Gilles FlamantScientific Advisor –President of the Executive Committee of SolarPACES.

Romie Lopez
Management Assistant
Public Relations Manager

Research Structure

Three large federating Themes
MEE – Materials for Energy and Space
CSPG – Next Generation Solar Power Plants
SCS – Solar Storage and Chemistry

Seven departments
STAR – Technical Departments for Research Support
PCM – Platform for the Characterization of Materials
SISIA – Solar Installations and Associated Instruments
S2EP – Support for Research Experiments and Projects
COM – Communication
SGRH – Management and Human Resources
INFO – Computer Department

Missions

One of the original missions of PROMES is to develop research with the large French concentration facilities of the CNRS in Font Romeu (solar furnaces in particular) and of the Department Council of the Pyrénées Orientales in Targasonne (Themis solar tower). These researches can be conducted up to the stage of research demonstrator. In addition, the laboratory is in charge of the development of the national research platform on concentrated solar power, which was made possible by the Equipex SOCRATE (Concentrated Solar Power: Advanced Research and Energy Technologies), and it is very active in the management of the DERBI innovation centre.

Educational trainings

The energy-focused training programs of the University of Perpignan are supported by PROMES, in particular the SupEnR engineering school, the Energy and EEA Master’s degrees, as well as the European Master’s degree (“Solar thermal” specialization).

Europe

PROMES has opened its exceptional equipment to the European research community through the SFERA3 and EU-SOLARIS projects. Very involved in European research, PROMES coordinates the H2020 Next-CSP and POLYPHEM projects dedicated to the development of new solar power plant concepts, and is a partner in the IMPROVEMENT and MINISTOR projects.

PROMES’ brochure