World’s largest solar plant to be built in the US

WASHINGTON, Feb 21, 2008 (AFP) - Abengoa Solar plans to build the world's largest solar plant in Arizona in cooperation with an energy utility in the southwestern state, the companies said Thursday.









Abengoa Solar, a subsidiary of Spain's Abengoa technology company, signed a contract with Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) to build, own and operate what would be the largest solar power plant in the world "if it were operating today," they said.

The plant will sell the electricity produced to APS over the next 30 years, generating total revenue for Abengoa Solar of around four billion dollars, and "bringing over one billion dollars in economic benefits to the state of Arizona."

The plant will be located 70 miles (112 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix, the capital of the sun-drenched state.

It is scheduled to go into operation by 2011 and will have a total capacity of 280 megawatts, enough to power 70,000 homes, while avoiding over 400,000 tons of greenhouse gases, which are blamed for global warming and climate change, the companies said.

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