Power China has started construction of the world’s only 200 MW CSP tower

Power China Northwest has commenced the construction of the largest CSP tower in the world. The project is located in the western region of the Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and is expected to have double the capacity of typical installations of its kind.

Spectacular CSP solar power plants

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems consist of a central tower topped with a heat exchanger containing a working medium, typically sodium or potassium salt. Surrounding the tower are mirrors, often equipped with tracking systems, that reflect sunlight onto the exchanger. This process raises the temperature of the medium, allowing CSP systems to generate electricity and provide on-demand heat.

CSP technology is already deployed worldwide. Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited recently communicated its implementation of a CSP project in Delingha town. This project involves constructing a solar tower with a capacity of 200 MW.

What is unique about the investment?

The project has adopted a hybrid approach, combining photovoltaic and solar energy from molten salt to generate thermal energy. The CGN New Energy project will cover an area of approximately 3,529.8 million square meters, housing an installation with a total capacity of 2,000 MW. The project is divided into two stages, each comprising 800 MW of photovoltaics and 200 MW of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP).

The CSP component of the project is projected to operate for 1,319 hours annually, resulting in the production of 263.88 million kWh of energy. Overall, the Delingha installation is anticipated to have the capacity to generate up to 3.65 billion kWh per year. Ke Xijun, overseeing the project’s implementation, highlights that this initiative is part of a broader series of projects aimed at achieving carbon neutrality in Qinghai province.

Source: solarpaces.org