690 MW solar power to be installed near Las Vegas

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Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has announced that it is developing a 690 MW solar project in Nevada, in the south-west of the USA. The company plans to install a photovoltaic power plant on around 44,000 acres of land located around approximately 40km northeast of downtown Las Vegas.

The Gemini Solar Project is one of the largest solar projects to be developed in both Nevada and the Western United States region to date. It is planned to be installed in two phases. The first 440 MW phase will connect to NV Energy's Crystal Substation via a 230kV AC interconnection and generate renewable power for the local NVE energy grid.  

The second phase of 250 MW is planned to connect at the South Crystal Substation via a 525kv interconnection, capable of serving power users in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Current designs have incorporated options to include storage components.

The project site is currently being reviewed by the Bureau of Land Management, expected to be completed by July 2019. Subject to the Bureau's approval, construction is scheduled to begin in Q3 2019.

Quinbrook intends to finance the project, while the final development and construction work will be overseen by Arevia Power.

The Gemini Solar Project is projected to add up to US$463 million in economic development value to the Nevada economy and create nearly 3,800 jobs. As per a worksite agreement with two local unions, over 75% of the project's workforce is to come from union laborers.

The plant will add to several other photovoltaic installations in the state, a popular choice for developers given its majority desert and semi-arid climate. 8minutenergy Renewables is currently in the process of securing regulatory approvals for a 300 MW facility to be located in Clark County, scheduled to come online by the end of 2021. In December, a 179 MW photovoltaic plant owned by EDF, also located in Clark County, commenced operations.