Feb 5 2011
Sempra Generation has chosen Suntech Power Holdings, a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels, and Zachry Holdings, a known EPC services providing company, to design and build its Mesquite Solar 1 project located in Arizona.
The solar power plant will be located around 30 miles west of new Goodyear, Arizona, where Suntech owns its production facility. Zachry holding will supervise the construction and erection of around 800,000 multi-crystalline solar panels supplied by Suntech. The technical team from Suntech will work in close liaison with Zachry and will assist in the installation of the project to meet the power generation requirements of Sempra Generation. The solar panels utilized in the project do not need water for the generation of electric power. The 150 MW AC power generated from the facility will be traded with Pacific Gas & Electric under a 20 year power purchase agreement. The agreement is awaiting the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission. The construction of the plant is scheduled to commence in the middle of 2011 and is anticipated to get completed by 2013. The proposed solar installation is expected to create over 200 job opportunities locally.
The solar installation supported by the power output warranty of Suntech is anticipated to produce over 350,000 MW of electric power every year, which is sufficient to meet the power requirements of around 50,000 homes for a number of years. The power produced by the plant will offset nearly 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide discharges every year, which can be equated to removing of around 40,000 cars from the road or planting of around 20,000,000 trees.