An NRG spokesman said it’s too early to say exactly what caused the failure, but it’s likely due to misaligned heliostats, according to Gizmodo.
Advertisement
According to an AP report, San Bernardino County fire Capt. Mike McClintock said the small fire occurred about two-thirds of the way up the boiler tower.
The plant is located on the California-Nevada border near Primm and sustained sufficient damage to now be operating at only a third of its capacity, according to authorities.
Firefighters had to rush up a 300-foot boiler tower in the Mojave Desert after a blaze broke out at the world’s largest solar thermal power plant. Plant personnel were able to put the fire out even before firefighters arrived. He could not immediately say when it would restart.
When fully operational the plant can produce enough power for 140,000 homes, but a second tower is shut down for maintenance, leaving only one running. It is also not clear how will the fire impact the electric supply in California.
This only adds to Ivanpah’s troubles. By contrast, solar power sold from traditional plants in 2015 went for about $57 per megawatt hour. But there’s a question of whether such industrial sized plants can operate safely and reliably.
In March, the CPUC called Ivanpah’s future into question, noting that it had failed to deliver the amount of electricity it promised it would contribute to the grid since it came online in 2014. About the only thing it’s demonstrating is its benefits have been overpromised and its perils, underreported.
This week, some misaligned mirrors at the nation’s biggest solar thermal energy plant caused an electrical fire that took out one of the plant’s three boiler towers.
Advertisement
The fire was reported shortly after 9:30 a.m. and drew response from firefighters in both San Bernardino County and Clark County, Nevada, said San Bernardino County fire officials.
