SunEdison have announced the project to build a photovoltaic solar power plant in Northeastern Italy, near the town of Rovigo.

The proposed solar power plant will have a capacity of 72 MW, making it the largest solar power plant in Europe. SunEdison finances, installs and operates distributed power plants using photovoltaic technologies. Expected to be completed at the end of 2010, the solar power plant will provide power to 17,150 homes and is projected to reduce 41,000 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Carlos Domenech, President of SunEdison, said, “SunEdison is focused on enabling the growth of global solar markets through strong capabilities in project finance, engineering, low-cost procurement and operations and maintenance services.”

A massive 20 megawatt solar power tower was launched in Spain last Monday. The solar plant, operated by Abengoa, is capable of supplying 10,000 Spanish homes with their power needs.

Built in the southern Spanish province of Seville, the solar power plant is the largest in operation and uses 1,255 mirrors to redirect the sun’s energy to the peak of a 165 meter high tower filled with water. Power is generated by the water boiling which in turn causes a turbine to produce electricity.

Abengoa has plans to build a second 20 megawatt plant soon and already has a 10 megawatt plant producing energy. Their goal is to produce 300 megawatts through such solar energy towers by 2013 by adding another five 50 megawatt plants.

The massive 50 megawatt plants will use parabolic troughs to further concentrate the solar energy.

Spain produces more than 3,000 megawatts of  electricity through solar energy and was ranked as the world’s second largest producer of solar power last year