eSolar, a producer of modular, scalable concentrating solar thermal power technology, and Ferrostaal AG, one of the world’s largest power plant developers, announced today a partnership to deploy turnkey solar power plants in countries including Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa.
Under the agreement, eSolar will provide solar field and receiver technology, while Ferrostaal will provide the power block as well as manage the overall project as general contractor, including financing activities.
Through partnering with eSolar, Ferrostaal adds solar power tower
technology to its current concentrating solar thermal portfolio, which
includes parabolic trough and Fresnel lens. By partnering with
Ferrostaal, eSolar adds significant global reach through a partner with
both development experience and financial strength.
eSolar unveiled Sierra SunTower, a 5-megawatts (MW) commercial-scale solar power plant, in the summer of 2009. Located in Lancaster, California, Sierra SunTower is the only power tower facility currently operating in North America.
eSolar has signed international licensing partnerships in China, India and South Africa.
In eSolar’s tower technology, mirrors reflect sunlight onto a receiver mounted atop of a tower. The focused heat boils water within the receiver and generates high-temperature steam which powers a turbine to produce electricity.
“Working with eSolar, we will be able to expand our portfolio of projects around the globe in places where modularity and speed of deployment are at a premium," said Dr. Klaus Lesker, Board Member at Ferrostaal.
In August 2008, MAN Ferrostaal announced a partnership with Solar Millennium to build solar thermal plants in the Southwest US.
In 2009, the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi took over 70% of the shares of Ferrostaal AG from MAN AG, of Munich, Germany.
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