This Chinese solar plant can power 1.7L homes for 1-year
China has reportedly launched the world's first twin-tower solar thermal plant, located near Guazhou County in Gansu Province. The innovative facility aims to increase efficiency and decrease carbon dioxide emissions, by using solar heat instead of coal for electricity generation. This is accomplished by converting water into high-pressure steam, which subsequently rotates turbines. The plant is a venture of the China Three Gorges Corporation, which asserts it has merged two adjacent heat-absorbing towers sharing a steam turbine generator.
Advanced design features of the solar plant
The towers of the plant are equipped with nearly 30,000 heliostat mirrors covering an 800,000-square-meter light collection area. These mirrors, made from special materials, have a reflection efficiency of up to 94%. Each tower stands at 200 meters tall, and their mirrors form two large overlapping circles that focus sunlight onto each tower. "The mirrors in the overlapping area can be utilized by either tower. This configuration is expected to enhance efficiency by 24%," said Wen Jianghong, plant project manager.
Solar plant incorporates molten salt power generation
The design of the power plant includes molten salt power generation for periods when sunlight is not available. The molten salt stored in the towers serves as a thermal battery, and stores excess heat during the day, and releases it at night to keep the generators running continuously. The mirrors are designed to track the Sun's movement throughout the day, focusing its rays on the eastern tower in the morning, and adjusting westward in the afternoon.
Dual-tower solar plant part of larger clean energy complex
The dual-tower solar plant is part of a larger clean energy complex that includes solar, thermal, as well as wind power plants. Collectively, these plants aim to generate over 1.8 billion kWh of electricity annually, while preventing the emission of 1.53 million tons of carbon. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. This initiative follows China's recent unveiling in June of the world's largest solar power plant in northwestern Xinjiang.
