Spanish engineering company Abengoa Solar has started operations of the new PS20 solar power tower plant located at the Solúcar Platform, near Seville.

It is the biggest of its kind in the world, delivering electricity to 10,000 homes.

The PS20 plant uses 1,255 mirrors to focus solar radiation at the top of a tower 165 metres high, in order to boil water to drive a turbine and generate electricity. Plant construction was carried out by Abener.

Abengoa already has a similar, 10-megawatt tower in operation, and another 20-megawatt tower is in the pipeline. All of these structures are part of the envisioned Solucar complex. The Solúcar platform is to generate 300 MW from a variety of solar sources including 50 MW from tower technology. It is scheduled to get completed by 2013. The platform covers a land area of 800 hectares and will create 300 permanent jobs for a total investment of 1.2 billion Euros.

Read more: Abengoa, Solúcar, PS20, solar power tower