U.S. gov't offers 737 mln USD for Nevada solar energy project

The U.S. government said Thursday it is conditionally committed to providing 737 million U.S. dollars in loan guarantee for the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nevada.


The project, sponsored by SolarReserve, LLC, includes a 110-megawatt molten salt concentrating solar power (CSP) tower generating facility, the Department of Energy said in a statement. It will be the first of its kind in the country and the tallest molten salt tower in the world.


The facility, located some 23 km northwest of Tonopah, Nevada, will create 600 construction jobs and 45 operations jobs, said the company.


The project has several innovative features, including a solar power structure and a molten salt-based collection and storage system that will capture and focus the sun's thermal energy with as many as 17,500 heliostats, said the Energy Department.


"Nevada continues to be a leader when it comes to the generation of renewable energy, and this project will not only create hundreds of jobs in the state but will also bring additional clean energy to the region," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.


In addition, the project is expected to produce approximately 500,000 megawatt hours annually, enough to power over 43,000 homes, added the Energy Department.


As part of Washington's bid to promote clean energy in recent years, the Department of Energy has provided a total of 30 billion dollars to support 29 clean energy projects.
(Source:http://news.xinhuanet.com)