Renewables energy company Abengoa has received a grant from the US Department of Energy to study and improve the economics of thermosolar technology.

The contract received by Spanish company Abengoa falls under the SunShot Initiative from the DOE, whose goal is to make solar thermal energy less costly and thus more competitive.

Specifically, Abengoa will work on new manufacturing and assembly techniques for use on its cutting edge concentrating solar power (CSP) parabolic trough system, which is the technology used by the company at its solar generation plant in Arizona.

CSP collectors employ a system of mirrors at thermosolar plants in order to produce electricity that is sent to the energy grid.

The company’s plant in Arizona—Solana—uses this type of technology. Under this DOE grant Abengoa will cut manufacturing costs and improve solar power’s competitiveness. The company will apply this technology to automate the manufacturing and assembly process for its new SpaceTube collector, which has an aperture width of over 26 feet.