Alstom has invested an additional US$40m in BrightSource Energy to reinforce its partnership with the pioneering US solar power company.
Since its initial investment in 2010, Alstom has progressively increased its participation. The alliance between the two companies relies on a natural fit combining Alstom’s experience in the field of turnkey power plants and key power equipment (such as steam turbines and solar receiver steam generator) with BrightSource’s tower-based solar thermal technology. BrightSource Energy announced recently it has reached the halfway mark of construction of the world’s largest solar thermal project – Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in San Bernardino County, California. Alstom and BrightSource are also collaborating on a series of solar research and development activities focused on storage and hybridisation with fossil fuels. Both companies have also decided to expand their geographic partnerships to India and Australia, where solar conditions best suit BrightSource’s tower technology and where Alstom has a strong track record in engineering and construction of power plants.
Previously, the companies announced partnerships in the Mediterranean Ring and Africa.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar energy, including both concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaics has the potential to account for 25% of global electricity by 2050 and cover a third of global energy demand after 2060.
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