Vision, a Construction Products Holding Company (CPC) subsidiary, is building a 130kw power solar plant in Bahra in alliance with SolFocus, a US-based developer of concentrated solar power technology.

The partners have also agreed to build at least eight other solar power stations for various other projects in Saudi Arabia.

Vision’s move to introduce concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology from SolFocus, a finalist in the category of “Sustainable Technology Innovation of the Year” Award for the 2010 Global Energy Awards, is a breakthrough in Saudi Arabia’s thrust for energy diversification, said a statement.

“We accomplished this partnership in line with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to promote investment in renewable energy projects and serve power projects in the Arabian Gulf and the wider Arabian region,' said Dr Faysal Alaquil, CPC spokesman and the director of business development.

Vision Electro Mechanical Co (Vision) was formed last August with a capital of SR563 million to develop, manufacture and operate solar power plants in Saudi Arabia.

Its Memorandum of Understanding with SolFocus covers marketing and installing of solar power systems to generate electricity, starting with the solar power plant in CPC’s Bahra industrial complex, which will be the Arab region’s largest project using CPV technology, it said.

Eng Hassan Chahine, Vision’s CEO, signed the agreement with Steve Horn, SolFocus chief technical officer, in the presence of Eng Tarek Khateeb, Vision solar power plant manager.

“Vision and SolFocus will install eight solar power stations in various projects in Saudi Arabia, as well as in the research centers of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust), and in the new technology cities,” said Eng Chahine.

SolFocus, a leader in CPV technology, has a double-mirror device that is more efficient than conventional solar panels, as it requires a fraction of the land area, for installation compared to competitors. Its technology is widely rated as the world's most efficient solar power generating system for feasible energy diversification, the statement said.

“The Bahra plant will serve as a model for further research and study to develop peak efficiency under the weather conditions of Saudi Arabia and the Arab region,' Eng Chahine said.

Dr Alaquil added: “Vision aims to be a leading national company exploiting solar power in Saudi Arabia where there is sun exposure for most part of the year, and will efficiently provide an alternative source of clean power to build up sustainable water and power capacity and preserve oil for future generations.”  - TradeArabia News Service