The Nevada Solar One power plant will use parabolic trough mirrors to focus the sun's energy onto "receiver" tubes containing oil, which will be used to boil oil for steam turbine electrical generation.

The receiver tubes will be supplied by advanced glass manufacturer Schott, which is also active in the global solar thermal and photovoltaic markets.

According to Schott, more than 19,000 of its new design receiver tubes will be used in the project, able to heat the oil to more than 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spanish renewable energy company Acciona Energia has agreed to invest $US262 million in the project, expected to start power production in 2007.

In September 2005, Solargenix received approval by the Public Utility Commission of Nevada for amendments to its power purchase agreements with Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, making its solar thermal power production eligible for inclusion in the state’s approved renewable energy initiatives.

Solargenix chief executive John Myles said the project could not have gone ahead without the approved amendments.

“Many people are not familiar with concentrating solar thermal technology or its proven track record and capability to play a significant role in addressing many of the most important energy issues that confront America and the rest of the world,” said Myles.

According to the US Department of Energy, Nevada has enough suitable land and solar resources to produce more than 600GW of power generation using concentrating solar technologies.

Nevada’s electrical consumption is less than 3% of this resource capacity, according to a DoE report, which indicated that the potential economic benefits of concentrated solar energy would significantly exceed development costs.