Conglomerate Plans New Solar Power For Israel, As It Brings CA’s Largest Solar Plant Online

As part of development in California’s Mojave Desert, the Ivanpah Solar Generating System, the world’s largest solar thermal power tower system, went online in September for its first energy output test as a jointly-owned project between BrightSource Energy, NRG Energy, and Google. Photo courtesy of Business Wire.

The global solar technology company BrightSource Energy has been partnering up with a number of high profile investors, among them Google, to create some of the world’s largest solar plants.

Megalim Solar Power Ltd., a company formed by BrightSource Energy and Alstom, a provider of equipment and services for power generation, will break ground in Israel within the next few months to build a 121 megawatt solar thermal power plant.

Megalim is now required to plan, finance, build, operate, and maintain the power plant throughout a concession period of 25 years, and then transfer it to the ownership of the State of Israel. The project is scheduled to come online in 2017.

Power Technology said in October that, “Megalim Solar is seeking a €150m loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance the planned Ashalim concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Israel, while the EIB has listed the €575m project as ‘under appraisal’ since 27 May 2013.”

Power Technology added that, “Selected through a formal international procedure, the promoters are required to procure 20 percent of its investment domestically according to Israeli law.”

The Megalim plant will be one of three projects selected under Israel’s Ashalim 250 megawatt total solar tender located in the Ramat Negev Regional Council’s 3.15 square kilometer site in the Negev Desert.

BrightSource added that this “Ashalim tender includes two CSP plants and one photovoltaic technology power plant. Once all three Ashlim projects are financed and constructed they will generate approximately two percent of Israel’s installed capacity, and help Israel achieve its goal of having 10 percent of its electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2020.”

In 2012, Alstom invested about $55 million in BrightSource, gaining an equity stake that positions Alstom as one of the main shareholders in the company.

BrightSource currently has contracts totaling 2,600 megawatts with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison, which are California’s two largest utilities. To meet this demand, the company plans to build 14 solar plants in the US Southwest by 2016.

As part of the development in California, the Ivanpah Solar Generating System, the world’s largest solar thermal power tower system, went online in September for its first energy output test as a jointly-owned project between BrightSource, NRG Energy, and Google.  

This was the first test that energy output was synchronized to the power grid. The system is using BrightSource’s power tower technology system.

As part of the system, about 300,000 software-controlled mirrors track the sun and reflect sunlight to boilers that sit atop three 459 foot tall towers.

The company explained that when the concentrated sunlight strikes the boilers’ tubes, it heats the water to create superheated steam. This high-temperature steam is then piped from the boilers to a standard turbine, where electricity is generated, and from there, transmission lines carry power to homes and businesses.

The power generated by the initial sync test went to the PG&E, which has a power purchase agreement for energy produced out of two of the plant’s unit stations. Southern California Edison has a power purchase agreement for the plant’s third unit station.

Located in California’s Mojave Desert, Ivanpah is built on 3,500 acres of public land. BrightSource adds that, “Once fully operational, the 392 megawatt (377 megawatt net) plant will generate enough electricity to power 140,000 homes annually.

“Ivanpah’s three power tower units will also nearly double the amount of commercial solar thermal energy capacity now operating in the United States.”

In addition, the partners calculate, using preliminary estimates, based on the plant’s first 30 years of operation, it will generate about $300 million in local and state taxes.

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