- Project Owner
- Abengoa Solar Inc.
- Docket Number
- 09-AFC-05
- Capacity
- 250 MW
- Location
- San Bernardino County
- Technology
- Solar Thermal
- Project Status
- Operational (Solar Thermal)
- Project Type
- Application for Certification
The Mojave Solar Project (MSP) is located on approximately 1,765 acres halfway between Barstow, CA and Kramer Junction, CA, and is nine miles northwest of Hinkley, CA.
The project is a nominal 250-megawatt (MW) solar electric generating facility, consisting of well-established parabolic trough technology to solar heat a heat transfer fluid (HTF). This hot HTF generates steam in solar steam generators, which expands through a steam turbine generator to produce electrical power from twin, independently operable solar fields (Alpha and Beta), each feeding a 125-MW power island. Each power island has a diesel engine-driven firewater pump for fire protection and a diesel engine-driven backup generator for power plant essentials. The sun provides 100 percent of the power supplied to the project through solar-thermal collectors; no supplementary fossil-based energy source (like natural gas) is used to produce electrical power.
On December 12, 2012, the California Energy Commission approved a Post-Certification Amendment (TN 68936) to eliminate the requirement for fire hydrant loops in the solar fields and revise Hazardous Materials Management Condition of Certification HAZ-7 regarding fire water loop infrastructure in the solar fields.
- Order Approving a Petition to Modify Condition of Certification BIO-7 to Remove 25 mph Restriction on Harper Lake Road, TN 66827, 08/17/2012, Order No. 12-0809-03, Commission approval to modify Condition of Certification BIO-7 to remove the 25-mph restriction on Harper Lake Road to allow the project-related drivers using Harper Lake Road to drive at the legal posted speed limit.
- Order Approving a Petition to Amend the Energy Commission Decision (Condition of Certification HAZ-7), TN 68936, 12/20/2012, Order No. 12-1212-03, Commission approval to eliminate the requirement for fire hydrant loops in the solar fields and revise HAZ-7 regarding fire water loop infrastructure in the solar fields.
- Notice of Determination for Approval to Lower Project Emissions, TN 201206, 11/14/2013, Staff approval to lower project emissions by replacing two 21.5 MMBtu/hr natural gas-fired, low-NOx-burner, auxiliary boilers with two heat transfer fluid electric heaters.
- Order Approving a Petition to Amend Air Quality Conditions of Certification and Power Block General Arrangement in the Final Decision, TN 202259, 04/28/2014, Order No. 14-0422-04, Commission approval for a variety of changes to generators, boilers, HTF storage and Air Quality conditions of certification.
- Order Approving a Petition to Amend the Energy Commission Decision (Conditions of Certification AQ-25, AQ-26, and AQ-2B), TN 203381, 11/26/2014, Order No. 14-1117-06, Commission approval to provide a different method of measuring the levels of total dissolved solids in the cooling tower blow-down water from the project.
- Statement Of Staff Approval Of Proposed Change to Construct New Warehouse, TN 231771, 01/28/2020, Staff approval to construct a new warehouse area to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the facility.
- Statement Of Staff Approval Of Proposed Change to Install New Vertical Carbon Beds, TN 233312, 06/04/2020, Staff approval to installation of new improved vertical carbon beds replacing the existing horizontal vessels to improve the capture of volatile organic compounds and operation of the ullage system with installation of the new carbon bed configuration.
- Order Approving Post Certification Petition to Amend the Energy Commission Decision, TN 243511, 06/13/2022, install a new hydrogen generation system.
Attention: Non-hypertext items above will need to be requested from the Compliance Project Manager, along with the document TN number, if provided above.
Power Plant Certification and Exemption Processes
The CEC has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants 50 megawatts (MW) and larger and related facilities proposed for construction in California. The Application for Certification (AFC) process is a certified regulatory program under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As a certified regulatory program, the CEC does not prepare environmental impact reports (EIRs) in an AFC proceeding, but instead prepares environmental assessment documents that are functionally equivalent to EIRs. A certificate issued by the CEC is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document otherwise required by any state, local or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law, and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation of any state, local, or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law.
Original Proceeding
e-Commenting has been closed. Please submit your comments in compliance proceeding above.
Contacts
Project Manager
Ashley Gutierrez
CME@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-839-0400
Public Participation Questions
Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-957-7910
Media Inquiries
Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989