NTR plc (NTR), a leading international developer and operator in renewable energy and sustainable waste management, today announced that its Phoenix based solar division, Stirling Energy Systems (SES), has successfully achieved “data adequate” status in its application for certification for one of the world’s largest solar facilities, by the Californian Energy Commission (CEC).

Data adequacy is a key step in the CEC permitting process and triggers the CEC’s timeline to complete processing of the 750-megawatt project, providing a significant boost to the project’s delivery targets. It is anticipated that the CEC process and related government approvals will require 12-16 months, allowing construction to proceed in late 2009. The project will provide electricity for approximately 500,000 homes in the San Diego, California region. The facility will be located on a 6,500 acres site in the Imperial Valley.

The Stirling Energy SunCatcher is the most efficient solar system in the world and converts sunlight into electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions. Each dish is 38 feet tall, 40 feet wide and generates 25,000 watts of power. The SunCatcher is extremely water efficient, using air in its cooling operations and minimal water for maintaining the mirrors. SES has a Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) for the output of the project, which will be constructed in two primary phases. The first will include 12,000 SunCatcher dishes generating 300 megawatts. The second phase will generate 450 megawatts using 18,000 solar dishes, together helping SDG&E and California achieve their renewable energy goals.