ContourGlobal today celebrated the start of construction on Project Sterling, a hybrid solar and storage facility located approximately 20 miles north of Lake Havasu City in Mojave County, Arizona. The plant will combine 509 MWp / 450 MWac of photovoltaic solar power with 360 MW / 1.4 GWh of battery storage on more than 2,000 acres in the Mojave Desert, one of the sunniest regions in the United States. Construction will continue through 2028 and will employ an average of 400 workers, making a tangible contribution to the local economy.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place in Topock and was attended by Antonio Cammisecra, President & CEO of ContourGlobal, Javier Alvarez Canedo, General Manager USA of ContourGlobal , as well as representatives of Arizona state and local institutions, industry partners and the community.
“ The Arizona sun has been shining on this land for billions of years. Project Sterling will put it to work, converting sunlight into electricity and storing some of that energy for delivery after sunset. Our teams designed the project around our customer’s specific needs, so it can deliver clean, reliable power for up to 16 hours a day, ” said Antonio Cammisecra . “ Today’s ceremony marks the visible beginning of our partnership with Mojave County, the State of Arizona, and our customer, Tesla. We are excited to celebrate this milestone with them and with the people who will now build this plant safely, with respect for the local community and the Mojave Desert land. ”
The ceremony was attended by Jeremiah Dean , Renewable Energy and Land Use Manager for the Arizona Governor's Office of Resilience; Leo Biasiucci , Arizona State Representative for District 30; Ron Gould , Vice Chair and Supervisor for District 5 of the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, along with members of the local community, county agencies, and emergency services.
Local construction crews will carry out the civil works, road construction, and site logistics to install more than 760,000 solar modules and over 300 battery storage containers (1.4 GWh / 360 MW), featuring advanced lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology, liquid cooling, and integrated fire protection. As construction progresses, ContourGlobal will continue to work closely with Mohave County officials and local communities to ensure lasting benefits for the region.
Once operational, Sterling is expected to generate more than 1.1 TWh (terawatt-hours) of clean electricity annually, comparable to the annual residential electricity demand of a city of 100,000 to 120,000 inhabitants, making it ContourGlobal's largest renewable asset worldwide. The plant will supply a long-term PPA with Tesla that covers approximately 90% of its expected output, one of the largest corporate solar-plus-storage PPAs ever signed for a single hybrid plant in the United States.
Project Sterling also benefits from the electrical interconnection of the western states, reinforcing Arizona's role in supporting a more resilient regional grid. Representatives from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) attended the ceremony.
Sterling is a privately financed project. ContourGlobal recently secured an Equity Bridge Loan from a syndicate of top-tier international banks to support the project's financing structure and the efficient deployment of capital during construction.
A significant project for Arizona and for ContourGlobal
The project is located along a historic stretch of Route 66 between Topock and Kingman, where the infrastructure that once fueled America's westward expansion is now giving way to infrastructure designed to power its next phase of growth. To access the site, the company is constructing Polaris Road, a 5.2-mile (8.4-kilometer) road that connects historic Route 66 to a project that represents a milestone in America's energy development.
Sterling represents a further step towards commercially viable 24/7 clean energy through large-scale solar projects with storage. ContourGlobal has already begun advancing this model in Chile, where it launched one of the world's first solar PPAs to supply electricity exclusively at night. With Project Sterling, the company takes another step forward by developing a plant capable of delivering clean energy for up to 16 hours a day, well beyond sunset, improving grid reliability and flexibility.
ContourGlobal remains committed to growth in the United States. Following the recent completion of Black Hollow Sun in Colorado, its US portfolio now totals 2.4 GW in operation or under construction. This includes 1.2 GW of thermal generation across 10 plants in California, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as 1.2 GW of renewables and storage, including 324 MWp of operational solar photovoltaics and Project Sterling, currently under construction.