1 tydzień temu
- What happened: China began trial operation of the world’s first dual‑tower, single‑generator concentrated solar power (CSP) station in Guazhou County, Gansu, on the edge of the Gobi Desert. english.cctv.com
- Scale & spectacle: ~27,000 heliostats (computer‑controlled mirrors) concentrate sunlight onto two 200‑metre towers placed about 1 km apart; the mirror fields partially overlap to share morning/afternoon sun. South China Morning Post
- How it works at night: The towers heat molten salt to roughly 565–570 °C, storing energy for about six hours of full‑power generation after sunset. CGTN News
- Why two towers: The “east‑west” design improves optical efficiency by ~24% versus the typical single‑tower layout and reduces total mirrors needed. Sina Finance
- Part of a bigger hub: The CSP block (100 MW) anchors a 700 MW clean‑energy base that also includes 400 MW wind + 200 MW PV, built by China Three Gorges (CTG) and partners. Sina Finance
- Context: China now dominates new CSP activity; REN21 reports 250 MW of CSP went online in China in 2024 and an 8.1 GW pipeline is advancing. REN21
The news: a sea of mirrors lights up the Gobi
State broadcaster CCTV called it “the world’s first solar‑thermal power plant with two towers and a single generator,” now in trial operation at Guazhou in northwest Gansu. The dual‑tower arrangement is designed to capture the sun continuously across the day in the Gobi’s wide, clear skies. english.cctv.com
The towers are surrounded by near‑perfectly spaced heliostats that pivot in unison, aiming reflected light onto receivers 200 m up. South China Morning Post captured the scale succinctly: “Nearly 27,000 mirrors focus sunlight onto the 200‑metre towers,” which sit roughly a kilometre apart. South China Morning Post
On October 2, project manager Yang Xuliang said the full‑system trial is a milestone because it tests the entire chain—from solar concentration and molten‑salt storage to steam generation and grid coordination—running as one integrated plant. (Technology Daily report via Sina.) Sina Finance
How this is different from traditional solar farms
Most desert solar today is photovoltaic (PV): panels convert light directly to electricity but need batteries for long‑duration storage. CSP takes a different path—mirrors harvest sunlight as heat. That heat is stored in vats of molten salt and later used to make steam and spin a turbine, allowing dispatchable solar power well after sunset. As SolarPACES explains: thermal storage is integral to CSP and is what makes it a flexible, grid‑balancing resource. SolarPACES
Why two towers—and why it matters
At the standardized 100 MW scale, single towers face a physics penalty: mirrors far from the tower lose effectiveness (optical attenuation). CTG’s novel approach splits the field into two 50 MW towers that both feed one 100 MW power block, shrinking average mirror‑to‑tower distance and boosting usable heat. As an industry analysis put it, the “smaller dual‑tower design will put that theory to the test.” SolarPACES
China’s own technical bulletins say the overlapping east/west fields and 94% reflectivity mirrors can lift optical efficiency by about 24%, while the shared turbine avoids duplicating expensive equipment. That’s crucial because, as researcher Wang Zhifeng notes, “nearly 60% of the solar‑thermal plant’s cost comes from its mirror systems.” Sina Finance
The engineering: storing desert sunshine for the night
In Guazhou, concentrated light melts nitrate salts (solid at ambient) and heats them to ~565–570 °C. The hot salt is stored in insulated tanks, then piped through heat exchangers to produce steam on demand for the turbine—six hours of full‑load generation is available even with no sun. CCTV and CGTN highlight that this design keeps power flowing after sunset, turning the Gobi’s daytime abundance into nighttime reliability. english.cctv.com
The bigger picture: the Gobi’s “solar‑thermal + renewables” revolution
The Guazhou station is one flagship in a broader build‑out of CSP‑plus desert bases that combine PV, wind and thermal storage to provide round‑the‑clock clean power:
- Yumen, Gansu (operational since Sept 2024): a 700 MW hybrid with the world’s largest operating 100 MW Fresnel CSP block (8 hours storage) plus 400 MW PV and 200 MW wind. REN21 notes China’s hybrid “CSP+” plants are meant to stabilize the grid as renewables scale. REN21
- Hami, Xinjiang (2025): CTG connected the world’s largest PV‑CSP complex—100 MW molten‑salt Fresnel + 900 MW PV—designed for 24‑hour output. pv magazine reports the thermal unit entered full operation in September 2025 after the PV field was completed in 2024. pv magazine International
- Golmud, Qinghai (May 2025 testing): CTG’s 100 MW tower CSP project completed a stable grid test, adding to the country’s growing fleet of desert towers. SolarPACES
Collectively, these projects are propelling China to the forefront of dispatchable solar. As REN21 summarizes, “Global growth in CSP capacity is now driven by the expansion of the Chinese CSP market,” backed by new provincial tariffs and national policy. REN21
Expert voices
- CCTV: “The world’s first solar‑thermal power plant with two towers and a single generator has begun trial operation,” marking a new configuration for CSP. english.cctv.com
- South China Morning Post: “Nearly 27,000 mirrors focus sunlight onto the 200‑metre towers,” arranged about a kilometre apart for morning/afternoon capture. South China Morning Post
- Project lead (Yang Xuliang): Full‑system trials are a “comprehensive test” of the entire chain from sunlight to grid. (Tech Daily via Sina.) Sina Finance
- Wang Zhifeng, Chinese Academy of Sciences: “Nearly 60% of the plant’s cost comes from its mirror systems,” hence the push to cut heliostat costs and count. Business Standard
- SolarPACES (IEA TCP): The dual‑tower approach reduces optical losses; this “will put that theory to the test” at commercial scale. SolarPACES
- pv magazine on Xinjiang’s hybrid base: CSP + PV is “delivering 24‑hour output,” demonstrating large‑scale storage integration. pv magazine International
- REN21 (2025): China’s pipeline rose to ~8.1 GW by end‑2024, with CSP+ plants co‑located with wind/PV to provide peak‑shaving and grid services. REN21
Why this dazzles beyond the optics
Grid value. CSP’s thermal storage lets operators dispatch solar like a conventional plant—ramping to meet evening peaks or overnight needs. That means less reliance on gas peaker plants and smoother integration of vast PV and wind fleets. (SolarPACES explainer.) SolarPACES
Cost trajectory. While CSP remains costlier than PV, policy support and scale learning are cutting installed costs in China, with Qinghai setting a CSP‑specific tariff at CNY 0.55/kWh (~7.6¢) to speed deployment. REN21 points to rapid cost reductions under China’s 14th Five‑Year Plan. SolarPACES
Desert strategy. China is turning arid “sand‑and‑gobi” zones into energy bases, pairing solar with grid upgrades and, in some areas, land restoration. Reuters reports parallel PV buildouts are being used to combat desertification by shading soil and anchoring vegetation—an indication of how energy and environmental policy intersect in the north‑west. Reuters
How CSP compares with PV (and why they work better together)
- Mechanism: PV converts light directly into electricity; CSP converts light into heat first, then electricity. SolarPACES
- Storage: PV relies mainly on batteries for multi‑hour storage; CSP’s molten‑salt tanks are built‑in for medium‑to‑long durations. SolarPACES
- Best use: PV is cheapest for daytime bulk energy; CSP is valuable for firm, dispatchable solar power—filling evening peaks and covering lulls. (REN21 + SolarPACES.) REN21
What to watch next
- Performance data: How closely the dual‑tower plant’s annual output and capacity factor match models will determine whether “two‑towers‑one‑turbine” becomes a new CSP template. SolarPACES
- Replication & scaling: Industry sources and provincial plans suggest more multi‑tower CSP and larger CSP+ hybrids are coming, with China targeting GW‑scale by the end of the decade. REN21
- Grid integration: As Xinjiang’s and Gansu’s hybrid bases ramp up, expect more 24‑hour renewable operation claims and new market rules to reward fast, flexible dispatch. pv magazine International
Sources & further reading
- CCTV: World’s first dual‑tower CSP begins trial operation (Guazhou, Gansu). english.cctv.com
- South China Morning Post: 27,000 mirrors, 200‑m towers, ~1 km apart; dual‑tower design benefits. South China Morning Post
- Tech Daily via Sina: 24% optical‑efficiency increase, 94% mirror reflectivity, 6‑hour storage, project manager’s statement, and hub composition (400 MW wind + 200 MW PV + 100 MW CSP). Sina Finance
- CGTN: Commissioning details, molten‑salt temperatures and storage rationale. CGTN News
- SolarPACES: Dual‑tower concept analysis; China’s CSP project updates. SolarPACES
- pv magazine: Xinjiang Hami 1 GW PV‑CSP hybrid (100 MW Fresnel + 900 MW PV) delivering 24‑hour output. pv magazine International
- REN21 GSR 2025: China’s 8.1 GW CSP pipeline; 2024 additions and policy context. REN21
- Qinghai CSP tariff (CNY 0.55/kWh) and China’s cost reduction trend. SolarPACES
- Reuters: Desert solar’s environmental co‑benefits and land‑restoration efforts in China’s north‑west. Reuters
Bottom line
The Gobi Desert’s dual‑tower solar‑thermal station is more than a shimmering “mirror sea.” It’s a storage‑backed solar plant designed to run on‑demand—a sign that China’s desert energy bases are moving beyond daytime PV into firm, dispatchable renewables. If the numbers hold, this two‑towers‑one‑turbine blueprint could spread across the Gobi—and influence how the world delivers clean power after the sun goes down. english.cctv.com
