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San Francisco, February 3, 2011 — Suntech Power Holdings Co., a producer of solar photovoltaic panels, and Zachry Holdings, Inc., a U.S. EPC provider, have been selected by Sempra Generation to design and construct the Mesquite Solar 1 project in Arizona.
The renewable electricity generated at Mesquite Solar 1 will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under a 150 MW (AC), 20-year power purchase agreement pending California Public Utilities Commission approval.
Construction on Mesquite Solar 1 is slated to begin in mid-2011, with completion by 2013. The solar power facility will create more than 200 local jobs for construction and installation.
Backed by Suntech‘s power output warranty, the Mesquite Solar 1 solar plant is projected to generate more than 350,000 MWh of electricity annually — enough to power roughly 50,000 homes for decades.
That clean electricity could offset roughly 200,000 tons of carbon emissions each year, similar to taking about 40,000 cars off the road or planting 20,000,000 trees. The project uses solar panel technology that does not require water to produce electricity.
Zachry will oversee the installation and integration of more than 800,000 Suntech multi-crystalline solar panels at the site. With 85 years of experience, Zachry has managed the engineering and construction of numerous industrial plants across the U.S., typically coal and gas-fired generation projects.
The solar power plant will be constructed about 30 miles west of Suntech’s new Goodyear, Arizona, manufacturing facility, which will supply a portion of the solar panels for the Sempra Generation project.
In addition, Suntech’s technical team, working closely with Zachry, will support the execution of the project to meet Sempra Generation’s power production expectations.
Sempra Generation, a unit of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, operates and maintains a fleet of natural gas-fueled power plants, and is a leading developer of solar and wind facilities that serve U.S. markets.
