Energy companies love to brag about being the world’s largest, first or producing the most of something and the bragging is about to begin. The Shams 1 concentrated solar plant located in the UAE’s Western Region is currently the world’s largest, but not for long, as an enormous project in the US western desert is on the verge of usurping that distinction.

The 100-megawatt Shams 1 plant’s inauguration – attended by Breaking Energy – was a major event in the solar power industry that showcased cutting-edge technology and raised the bar for utility-scale renewable energy power generation.

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, partnered with French oil major Total and Spain’s energy infrastructure company Abengoa in the Shams 1 project. “With the addition of Shams 1, Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio accounts for almost 68 percent of the Gulf’s renewable energy capacity and nearly 10 percent of the world’s installed CSP capacity”, according to the company.

“Incorporating the latest in parabolic trough technology, Shams 1 features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic trough collectors. By concentrating heat from direct sunlight onto oil-filled pipes, Shams 1 produces steam, which drives a turbine and generates electricity,” according to Masdar statement.

Now Enter Ivanpah:

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California’s Mojave Desert, where construction began in October 2010, is 92% complete. Ivanpah will use a Brightsource solar thermal system to produce  electricity for sale through Brightsource contracts with PG&E and Southern California Edison. NRG Solar, Google and Brightsource are all equity investors in the project, and Bechtel is building it. No information has been provided on when construction is slated for completion.

At 377 MW of nominal power generation capacity, Ivanpah will top Shams 1 by more three and a half times.

Ivanpah’s technology is slightly different than Shams 1, in that it uses a “power tower” design, but the result is the same, with solar radiation creating steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity. So stay tuned, Ivanpah’s official startup will a major cleantech milestone, in addition to a gargantuan media event.