One of the world's largest solar energy plants, owned by GE, PowerLight Corp. and Catavento SA, has started delivering electricity to about 8,000 homes in Southern Portugal. The solar panels, which are raised around 2 meters off the ground, cover an area of 150 acres and produce 11 megawatts of electricity.
Kevin Walsh, managing director for Renewable Energy GE, which built the project, said the plant has one of the highest capacity of any solar energy project in the world.
The plant, which has 52,000 photovoltaic modules, is near this town, 125 miles southeast of Lisbon. It fits into Portugal's plans of reducing its reliance on imported energy and cutting output of greenhouse gasses that feed global warming.
By bringing modern technology to one of western Europe's poorest regions, the $75 million plant is expected to bring economic development to the Alentejo region.
There are also plans to build a solar power plant in the neighboring town of Moura.
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