Abengoa Solar and the Japanese JGC Corporation have formed a partnership to construct two 50-MW solar thermal electric plants in El Carpio. This is will be the first time a Japanese company has invested in commercial concentrating solar power (CSP) plants.
The two projects represent a total investment of more than €500 million, approximately €350 million euros of which has been raised through a project finance loan. In August, Abengoa and JGC concluded the finance agreements with four international commercial banks: SMBC, HSBC, Mizuho and BNP Paribas.
Abengoa Solar, which will operate both plants, will retain control of the projects with a stake of 74%. The two facilities, which are already under construction by the Abengoa companies Abener and Teyma, are expected to enter commercial operation in early 2012 and will sell power to the grid.
The two plants will employ parabolic trough technology and will produce enough energy to meet the electricity needs of 52,000 households and achieve emissions reductions totalling approximately 63,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
“This partnership, with the participation of a leading Japanese engineering company and Japanese and other international banks, demonstrates the interest of the international investment community in CSP projects in Spain,” said Santiago Seage, Abengoa Solar’s CEO.
In turn, Koichi Kawana, JGC’s Executive Vice President, mentioned that “it is our great pleasure to collaborate with Abengoa Solar as a very reliable partner with a proven and impressive track record in the CSP industry. We believe that CSP is one of key technologies to mitigate global warming and we are proud to take part in this environmentally friendly power generation project. JGC’s challenge to develop CSP projects will expand globally utilising our experience, especially in MENA countries”.
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