SolarReserve, a Santa Monica developer of large-scale solar projects has received environmental approval for a 260 megawatt plant in Chile.

The proposed Copiapo Solar Project in Chile’s high-altitude Atacama Desert would be one of the world’s largest solar projects, delivering 260 watts of baseload power to Chile’s grid.

The project, which received an environmental qualification permit from the Chilean government earlier this month, is now scheduled to reach commercial operation in 2019. Solar Reserve announced the approval Thursday.

Solar Reserve uses a series of mirrors to concentrate solar power into a central plant. Then it uses tanks of molten salt to store the power to be called on when needed, allowing it to deliver a constant stream of power 24/7. Most solar projects deliver power on an intermittent basis.

The firm is backed by Los Angeles private equity firm US Renewables Group. Its molten salt technology was initially developed by Canoga Park rocket-engine developer Rocketdyne.