Vision Electro Mechanical Company, a subsidiary of Saudi-based Construction Products Holding Company (CPC), plans to build a 130KW solar power plant in the Kingdom's Bahra region in alliance with California-based SolFocus.

A developer of concentrated solar power technology, SolFocus said the partners have also agreed to build at least eight other solar power stations for various other projects in Saudi Arabia.

As per the deal with SolFocus, Vision will market and install solar power systems to generate electricity, starting with solar power plant in CPC’s Bahra industrial complex, which will be the region's largest planst using CPV technology, said a top official.

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

Vision’s move to introduce concentrator 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, he added.

Vision was formed last August with a capital of SR563 million ($174 million) to develop, manufacture and operate solar power plants in Saudi Arabia.

Vision and SolFocus will install 8 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,” revealed Hassan Chahine, Vision CEO, after signing the pact with Steve Horn, SolFocus chief technical officer.

The agreement was inked in the presence of Tarek Khateeb, Vision solar power plants manager and other officials.

SolFocus, a leader in CPV technology, said it has a double-mirror device that is more efficient than conventional solar panels, as it requires but 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, explained Horn.

According to Chahine, 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. “It will ideal to exploit it in further projects, especially in Industrial Parks.”

Dr Alaquil said, “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