Solar power could surge by 2050 in deserts: study

"We now have a third billion-dollar technology alongside wind and solar photovoltaics," Teske told Reuters.

The report said generation costs range from 0.15 to 0.23 euros per kilowatt hour -- above fossil fuels or many renewables -- and would fall to 0.10-0.14 euros by 2020. Guaranteed sales prices were needed to spur investments, it said.

CSP installations made up just 430 Megawatts of the world's electricity generation capacity at the end of 2008.

"CSP plants can deliver reliable industry-scale power supply around the clock due to storage technologies and hybrid operations within the power plant," said Jose Nebrera, president of ESTELA.

(Editing by Richard Williams),