Spanish glass-maker for solar plants to build $50 million US headquarters in Phoenix suburb

Spanish solar firm to put US base in Arizona

SURPRISE, Ariz. — A Spanish manufacturer of glass for commercial solar plants announced Wednesday that it will build a $50 million U.S. headquarters in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise.

Rioglass Solar said the 130,000-square-foot facility will employ more than 100 workers. An additional 130,000 square feet of manufacturing space is on the drawing board.

The company makes curved glass sheets used in solar plant parabolic concentrators. It is a subsidiary of Rioglass Solar Holdings.

The city is waiving more than $1 million in fees and infrastructure improvement costs. Rioglass Solar also received $10.6 million in federal tax credits to locate its mirror manufacturing facility in Surprise.

“Rioglass Solar adds to the significant progress Arizona is making to become a global leader in the renewable energy sector, and creating quality, stable jobs that will help advance and diversify our state’s economy,” Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said.

Rioglass plans to supply glass for the Solana Generating Station planned by Abengoa Solar Inc. of Spain near Gila Bend, Ariz.

Abengoa Solar got a $1.4 billion federal loan guarantee through the Obama administration’s stimulus program to build the 280 megawatt plant, one of the world’s largest.