New Jersey-based NRG Energy and California-based eSolar plan to build a 92MW solar thermal plant in New Mexico. Electricity generated at the facility will be supplied to El Paso Electric under a power purchase agreement. The announcement is the first since NRG invested USD10m in eSolar in return for an equity stake and the development rights to three plants. The project will spread across a 450-acre property 10 miles from El Paso, Texas, and is scheduled for completion in 2011.
eSolar will supply the plant’s technology, which uses a field of flat solar-tracking mirrors to focus solar radiation on to a central tower. Liquid within the tower is heated, which drives a generator. The firm says its technology requires a quarter of a square mile to generate 46MW of electricity.
"eSolar's modular technology can be installed at any scale and in variable configurations. Combined with NRG's resources and development expertise, eSolar's technology is the preferred solution for environmentally responsible mid-sized utilities like El Paso Electric," says eSolar CEO Bill Gross.
In March, ACME Group invested USD30m in eSolar in return for a 5% equity stake and development rights for solar thermal projects in India over the next 10 years.
Last year, eSolar raised USD130m in funding from investors including Oak Investment Partners, Idealab and Google.org.
