AMEC awarded EPC contract for 35 MW solar project in Arizona
18 April 2012
PHOENIX (18 April 2012) - AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Arizona Public Service to design and construct a 35-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic plant being developed in Yuma, Arizona. The APS-owned project will be the first-ever solar facility to be built on Arizona State Trust lands.
The value of the contract has not been disclosed.
Under the contract, AMEC will be the project developer and EPC contractor. The new Foothills Solar Plant, which will sit on nearly 400 acres in Yuma County, AZ, has been designed to optimize energy production utilizing Suntech modules, Array Technologies horizontal trackers and Advanced Energy inverters. AMEC has selected each of these components and integrated them into a design that maximizes the output of the plant specifically for the demand requirements of APS.
“AMEC is thrilled to partner with APS on this important project, which fully aligns with our Vision 2015 strategy and strengthens the focus on renewable and clean energy,” said Tim Gelbar, President of AMEC’s Power & Process Americas business. “We look forward to demonstrating our leading knowledge and expertise in delivering a turnkey solution for this utility-scale solar development.”
The project will feature more than 150,000 Suntech solar modules, including thousands produced at Suntech’s manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona.
“We’re excited to support AMEC and APS in bringing this landmark project to life,” said John Lefebvre, President of Suntech America. “It’s great to see our Arizona-made products installed right in Arizona. We will continue to invest in our U.S. operations and provide our local partners with high-quality, affordable solar modules to drive American solar industry growth.”
“This solar facility is a critical milestone for APS, helping to not only meet our renewable energy objectives but also meet the needs of our Yuma customers from a load serving perspective,” said Ted Geisler, APS AZ Sun Program Manager. “It’s a win-win-win: the modules for this project will be manufactured right here in Arizona; the lease revenue will benefit the State’s K-12 education fund, and more than 100 Arizona jobs will be created – while all of the clean energy produced stays right here in our state.”
The 35 MW that will be generated at the Foothills Solar Plant is enough to power some 8,750 Arizona homes.
AMEC is working with Yuma County to obtain the necessary development permits prior to beginning construction, which will create more than 100 construction jobs and break ground in August 2012. The plant is expected to come online in two phases – the first 17 MW will reach commercial operation by March 2013; the remaining 18 MW will reach commercial operation by December 2013.
APS is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves more than 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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Contacts:
Lauren Gallagher: Media Relations: lauren.gallagher@amec.com +1 602-757-3211
Notes to editors
AMEC (LSE: AMEC) is a focused supplier of consultancy, engineering, and project management services to its customers in the world's oil and gas, minerals and metals, clean energy, environment and infrastructure markets. With annual revenues of over £3.3 billion (US$5.2 billion), AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets and employs over 27,000 people in around 40 countries worldwide.
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is the world's largest producer of solar panels for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With regional headquarters in China, Switzerland, and the United States, and gigawatt-scale manufacturing worldwide, Suntech has delivered more than 20 million photovoltaic panels to over a thousand customers in more than eighty countries. Suntech's pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Suntech's mission is to provide everyone with reliable access to nature's cleanest and most abundant energy source. For more information about Suntech's people and products visit: http://www.suntech-power.com.
Array Technologies, Inc., is a market leader in tracking technology for utility, commercial and residential electric systems. The company has been pioneering robust, reliable and easy-to-install solar tracking systems for over two decades, and engineers and manufactures in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.arraytechinc.com
Advanced Energy (Nasdaq:AEIS) is a global leader in reliable power conversion solutions used in thin-film plasma manufacturing and solar energy generation. Founded in 1981, Advanced Energy is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado with dedicated support and service locations around the world. For more information, go to www.advanced-energy.com.