World's largest solar plant to be built in Lisbon

GE Energy, PowerLight Corporation and Catavento energy companies began building the world's largest solar power plant on Tuesday.

GE Energy, PowerLight Corporation and Catavento energy companies on Tuesday began building the world's largest solar power plant.

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The 11-megawatt solar power plant, comprising 52,000 photovoltaic modules, is being built in one of Europe's sunniest areas in Serpa, 200 kilometres southeast of Lisbon.

The $78.5 million plant is expected to be completed by January 2007.

With over 350,000 solar panels installed in some 10,000 structures spread across 114 hectares, the Serpa plant will have a 62-megawatt capacity, six times more than the present largest solar plant, in Germany.

It will produce enough electricity to supply 8,000 homes and save more than 30,000 tons in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to fossil fuels.