The US’ Ausra has won a contract to supply the steam boiler for a planned solar power plant in Jordan.

The contract is for Jordan’s Joan 1 concentrated solar thermal, which will be developed by Germany’s Mena Cleantech, in Maan. The project will also include a fossil fuel boiler to guarantee continuous power generation.

The scheme will begin operating in 2013. It will be the largest solar thermal power plant in the world to use direct solar steam generation.

Mena cleantech is planning financial close in the fourth quarter of 2010 and construction is due to begin in early 2011.