The Crossroads Solar Energy Project is a solar power project proposed to be located just west of the town of Gila Bend, Arizona, approximately 1.25 miles north of the intersection of Interstate 8 and Paloma Road. The project will utilize SolarReserve’s innovative concentrating solar power technology with storage, and have the capability to produce a nominal 150 megawatts (MW) of energy. The project will help meet the increasing demand for clean, renewable electrical energy in the U.S. and help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed facility will use concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, and be equipped with an integral storage system. The technology generates power from sunlight by focusing energy from a field of sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats onto a central receiver. Liquid salt, which flows similar to water when melted, is circulated through the receiver, collecting the energy gathered from the sun. The heated salt is then routed to an insulated storage tank where it is stored with minimal energy losses. When electricity is to be generated, the hot salt is routed to heat exchangers to produce steam used to generate electricity in a conventional steam turbine cycle. The salt is then sent to the cold salt storage tank, ready to be reheated by the sun and reused the following day. The salt storage technology was demonstrated successfully at the U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored 10-MW Solar Two project near Barstow, California.
Key Project Benefits:
The Crossroads Solar Energy Project will:
- Help meet growing demand for clean, renewable energy sources.
- Incorporate energy storage, which provides operating stability for the electricity grid and a cost effective way to meet Arizona’s peak electricity demand profile.
- Deliver up to 150 MW net nominal output, producing approximately 450,000 MWh annually.
- Boost the local economy by creating up to 450 construction jobs at peak and about 45 permanent operating jobs, and also significant property tax revenues that will benefit the local community and region.