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UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
China’s first CSP project begins operation
China’s first commercially-operated concentrated solar power (CSP) project is now producing energy according to ABB, which provided an automation solution that controls the plant’s production.
Located at Delingha in central China, and operated by China General Nuclear Power Group, the 50 MW plant is one of 20 demonstration facilities designed to explore the potential for utility-scale CSP in the country.
China is currently the world’s largest producer of solar photovoltaic (PV) power but has yet to explore CSP in any significant way. While PV converts light from the sun into electricity, CSP uses heat from the sun to produce steam and generate power. The advantage of CSP is that plants can store heat and deploy it at night, whereas PV plants operate solely during the day.
The world’s largest CSP plant – Morocco’s 510 MW Noor Power Station – is scheduled to be completed at the end of this year. The project is being built by Shandong Electric Power Construction Co, a subsidiary of China’s Power Construction Corporation.
Back in China, the Delingha demonstration plant is expected to meet the Chinese government’s target of producing 20% of its energy from renewables by 2030. A statement from ABB says that the swift completion of the project allowed it to beat the deadline to qualify for the maximum feed-in tariff.
