AORA is set to launch its gas turbine solar thermal power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel on June 24.

The power station consists of a field of 30 tracking mirrors, situated on half an acre of land. Each of the Samar station’s heliostat tracks the sun and reflect its rays toward the top of a 30 meter-high tower housing a special solar receiver along with a 100kw gas turbine.

The Israeli company has developed an advanced solar-hybrid power generation unit (IP protected) based on its association with the Weizmann Institute of Science. The hybrid approach allows the system to run on solar radiation input, as well as almost any alternative fuel.

The company has been working on the commencement of solar power production at its Samar plant. In April this year, AORA’s chief technology officer Pinchas Doron told CSPToday.com that the heliostat field and the power conversion unit had been installed and functioning, and the initial runs of the turbine had been performed. It was also working on final integration of the system and pre-operation tests.

Read more: AORA Solar, Hybrid, Technology