The world's largest concentrated solar power plant began producing electricity this week, after one of its units synchronized with the power grid for the first time.

 

Ivanpah, a 392MW plant built by BrightSource Energy and NRG Solar, fed energy from one of three units onto the power grid, delivering it to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which has a power purchase agreement with the system.

 

The system works by directing sunlight from hundreds of mirrors onto a central tower, which houses a container filled with water. The concentrated light heats the water until it turns to steam, rotating a turbine that produces the electricity.

 

Ivanpah, which is scheduled to be fully complete by the end of this year, is to carry out similar proof of concept tests for its second and third units. When complete, it will be able to power 140,000 homes, providing energy under PPA agreements with PG&E, and California Edison.

 

BrightSource Energy co-owns the project, which was first licensed in 2010, and which has received a $1.6bn loan from the Department of Energy. Google is an investor in the project, having contributed $168m in 2011.

 

BrightSource is now planning an even larger project, the 500MW Palen Solar project, which it says will be producing power in 2016. The project has already run into protests from Mojave Desert locals who are worried about light pollution and damage to birds.