Solar field of a parabolic trough power plant in the Mojave desert.

Thermal power company Solel Solar Systems is soon to change hands with Siemens acquiring the majority stake. Ecofin, an investment firm based in London, and another major shareholder held the majority stake up until this point.

Solel Solar Systems is among the top two leading suppliers of solar receivers in the world, with a workforce of 500. Solar receivers are the key component of parabolic trough power plants. In the first six months of its current fiscal year (January 1 to June 30 2009), the company posted a revenue of about $90 million. The planning and construction of solar fields are also a strong point of the company. The purchase price of the majority stake is around $418 million, and the proper authorities need to approve the transaction. The closing of the deal is expected to take place by the end of this year.

Solel has seen a lot of success in the solar power sector, and the company already has decades of experience in developing and manufacturing solar field equipment as well as the construction and planning of solar fields. Solel has also made itself present on the Spanish market by supplying solar thermal power plants with key components to 15 power plants that account to capacity of 750 megawatt. The U.S. market is one of the most important in the world, and Solel is also very active there…