Workers at Concentrating Solar Tower Plant

Europe's first commercial concentrating solar power plant operates in Southern Spain. The PS10 uses solar radiation to produce electricity and is run by the Spanish company Solucar (Abengoa). The 11 megawatt solar power tower plant uses 624 large movable mirrors called heliostats. The mirrors concentrate the sun's rays to the top of a 115 meter (377 foot) high tower where a solar receiver and a steam turbine are located. The turbine drives a generator, producing electricity. The plant can provide electricity for up to 6,000 homes and saves about 16,000 tons of CO2 each year.