Masdar Partners with Total and Abengoa on Shams 1

Abu Dhabi-based renewables company Masdar has appointed the bidding consortium of energy giant Total and Abengoa Solar to build, own and operate the world's largest concentrated solar power plant.

Extending over an area of 2.5km², the Shams 1 solar project will have a generating capacity of about 100MW and a solar field consisting of 768 parabolic trough collectors, supplied by Abengoa Solar.

Work on the project will begin during the third quarter of the year and is expected to take about two years.

The Shams 1 project will be a joint venture between Masdar (60%), Total (20%) and Abengoa Solar (20%).