PIC Group Inc., based in Marietta, Ga., has entered into a service agreement with Tonopah Solar Energy LLC, an affiliate of SolarReserve LLC, to operate and maintain the 110 MW Crescent Dunes solar energy project, which is currently under construction near Tonopah, Nev. Once completed, the Crescent Dunes facility will supply approximately 480,000 MWh annually to NV Energy through a 25-year power purchase agreement.
Under the service agreement, PIC will provide full care and custody and control operations and maintenance services for the plant. The agreement will begin with mobilization to the site in 2012, with commercial operation expected to begin in early 2014.
The project will utilize advanced molten-salt solar power tower technology with integrated energy storage to generate solar power on demand. The Crescent Dunes plant is the first commercial application of this type of technology in the U.S. and will be the largest facility of its kind in the world, PIC adds.
