Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corp has bought a 25 per cent take in one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) developments in the US.

The company yesterday announced that it will invest an undisclosed sum in the 550MW Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in the California desert.

The deal is Sumitomo’s first involvement in a US solar project, although it holds stakes in four US wind projects along with four solar farms in Europe.

In a statement, the company said it would continue “to actively seek opportunities to develop, construct and own” advanced solar and other renewable energy projects in the US and Canada.

“The investment in Desert Sunlight is a good representation of what Sumitomo is doing in regards to supporting a clean energy future,” said Teruyuki Miyazaki, vice president of Sumitomo Corporation of America’s power and telecommunications business.

“This, along with our earlier investments in major renewable energy projects in the US, allows us to leverage our experience and know-how as a long-term strategic investor and work with strong partners on high-quality renewable energy projects in the advanced stages of development or construction.”

Desert Sunlight is being developed by First Solar, which sold the project to NextEra Energy Resources and GE Energy Financial Services in September 2011. Sumitomo has purchased half of GE’s orginal 50 per cent stake.

The project is the largest PV facility approved for US public land and is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2015. It is expected to generate enough energy to power more than 165,000 homes and displace 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse emissions per year.