eSolar,which is a California based specialist in the field of solar thermal technology has recently announced a deal to license technology to Penglai Electrics,which will allow the firm to build major 2 gigawatts solar thermal power plants across China by 2021.

Although most of these projects are going to be financed by Chinese banks, local companies will be involved in the manufacturing of the equipment used in the plants. In some cases, the ownership of the actual power plants could be of any of the two parties, which would then be sold back to Penglai.

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There are some huge, new power plants being installed all around the world. PG&E has contracted with a 250 MW and a 500 MW solar plant in California. Another 250 MW integrated solar plant/manufacturing facility is being built in India.

The Clinton Foundation has decided to build a similar 5,000 MW facility in a different part of India. At the beginning of the summer a new 10 MW thin-film facility was claiming the record for that category and a 400 MW solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert was big news.

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