CSP World

After some days of rumours about the status of Ivanpah, we can say it has officially come online. NRG Solar, the company which operates the plant has released an official press statement to announce this milestone in the Concentrated Solar Power sector.

At full capacity, the facility’s three units 450-foot high towers produces a gross total of 392 megawatts (MW) of solar power (377 MW net), enough electricity to provide 140,000 California homes with clean energy and avoid 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equal to removing 72,000 vehicles off the road.

Ivanpah, a joint effort between NRG, Google, and BrightSource Energy, received a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. The project has been built by Bechtel, the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor on the project.

The facility achieved commercial operation on December 31, 2013, but it has not been at full power, a fact that has led to some -incredibly featured- stories in certain medias, claiming the plant would not work properly. Just like any other energy station, there is a period of tests to assure the proper performance to avoid any kinf of harm to the electric grid, even if the plant has achieved commercial operation.

Ivanpah, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of all solar thermal energy currently operational in the US, is the largest solar project of its kind in the world. The project is the first to use BrightSource’s innovative solar power tower technology to produce electricity, which includes 173,500 heliostats that follow the sun’s trajectory, solar field integration software and a solar receiver steam generator. Since breaking ground in October 2010, the project has created thousands of jobs and, at the peak of construction, employed nearly 3,000 site workers who completed more than 8.35 million man-hours. A total of approximately $650 million in salaries for construction and operations is expected to be paid over the next 30 years.

“Cleantech innovations such as Ivanpah are critical to establishing America’s leadership in large-scale, clean-energy technology that will keep our economy globally competitive over the next several decades,” said Tom Doyle, president, NRG Solar. “We see Ivanpah changing the energy landscape by proving that utility-scale solar is not only possible, but incredibly beneficial to both the economy and in how we produce and consume energy. Whether it’s partnering, developing or investing, NRG will continue to provide a diverse set of solutions and technologies to get the U.S. to the ultimate goal of providing affordable, reliable clean energy for everyone.”

“Achieving commercial operation is a result of a well-coordinated effort between the Ivanpah project affiliates and Bechtel,” said Toby Seay, president of Bechtel’s power global business unit. “Consistent teamwork with a focus on safety and quality is key to executing a project of this size and complexity. It was a privilege to be a part of an iconic project that will bring clean, sustainable power to tens of thousands of households for years to come.”

The solar energy harnessed from Ivanpah’s Units 1 and 3 are being sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under two long-term power purchase agreements, while the electricity from Unit 2 is being sold to Southern California Edison under a similar contract.

"Congratulations to the Ivanpah team for achieving commercial operation," said Rick Needham, Google's director of energy and sustainability. "At Google we invest in innovative renewable energy projects that have the potential to transform the energy landscape and help provide more clean power to businesses and homes around the world. Ivanpah is a shining example of such a project and we're delighted to be a part of it."

“This is an exciting culmination of many years of hard work by all of our partners at Ivanpah. The completion of this world-class project is a watershed moment for solar thermal energy. With all three units now delivering power to our customers’ specifications, BrightSource has demonstrated its solar power technology at scale,” said David Ramm, chairman and CEO of BrightSource Energy. “This is a great kickoff to 2014, as BrightSource focuses increasingly on international markets and applications for our solar steam technology.”

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest of 11 operational utility-scale solar facilities in three states in which NRG has ownership interest. Ivanpah is also one of several NRG assets that are subject to a Right of First Offer Agreement between NRG and its publicly owned subsidiary, NRG Yield, Inc. (NYSE:NYLD).

Energy Secretary Ernst Moniz dedecates the plant

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has participated in the opening of Ivanpah. As President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address, the U.S. is becoming a global leader in solar energy -- demonstrated by a new industry report which found that U.S. utility-scale solar set a record with 2.3 gigawatts installed in 2013. As the first commercial deployment of innovative power tower CSP technology in the United States, the Ivanpah project was the recipient of a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO).

“The Ivanpah project is a shining example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy,” said Secretary Moniz. “As the President made clear in the State of the Union, we must continue to move toward a cleaner energy economy, and this project shows that building a clean energy economy creates jobs, curbs greenhouse gas emissions, and fosters American innovation.”

Ivanpah has the capacity to generate 392 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity -- enough to power 94,400 average American homes -- most of which will be sold under long-term power purchase agreements to Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison Company. The project is a joint effort by NRG, Google, and BrightSource Energy, and Bechtel served as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor.

“This project was made possible by the successful public-private partnership between the Department of Energy and the project sponsors,” said Peter Davidson, LPO Executive Director. “Through partnerships like this, we can continue to build an innovative clean energy economy in the U.S.”

Ivanpah is one of five CSP projects that received loan guarantees from the Department, and when these projects are completed, they will provide a combined 1.26 gigawatts (GW) of electric capacity. These loan guarantees, are also helping to finance the first solar thermal storage project and the first power tower with solar thermal storage in the U.S., as well as some of the world’s largest parabolic trough CSP plants. In addition to construction, operations and maintenance jobs, these projects are creating jobs in a national supply chain that reaches 39 states.

Currently, the LPO supports a large, diverse portfolio of more than $30 billion supporting more than 30 closed and committed projects. The LPO portfolio includes one of the world’s largest wind farms; several of the world’s largest solar generation and thermal energy storage systems; the first new commercial nuclear power plant to be licensed and built in the United States in three decades; and more than a dozen new or retooled auto manufacturing plants across the country.

The California Energy Commission hails Ivanpah

The California Energy Commission licensed the Ivanpah project in 2010 as part of the Commission's commitment to support clean renewable energy, drive the state's economy and bring jobs to California. The project will help meet the state's Renewables Portfolio Standard that requires increasing California's amount of renewable energy to 33 percent by 2020.

"California is home to some of the world's biggest geothermal, wind and photovoltaic projects. With Ivanpah, we are now home to the planet's largest solar thermal plant," said Robert B. Weisenmiller, chair of the Energy Commission. "We appreciate the partnership that California has developed with the United States Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and other state and federal agencies that worked with us to advance renewable energy in California."

"Renewable energy is a top priority for California. We have - and are on track to exceed - the nation's most aggressive Renewables Portfolio Standard: 33 percent by 2020. By using innovative, large-scale renewable sources, we are transforming our energy infrastructure and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels," said Karen Douglas, commissioner at the Energy Commission.