China’s largest concentrated solar-thermal power plant in northwestern Xinjiang has been connected to the State Grid network.

China has launched its largest “Linear Fresnel” concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) energy demonstration project in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The 1-million-kilowatt project, developed by the Northwest Electric Power Design Institute of China Power Engineering Consulting Group, has commenced power generation and connected to the State Grid. The project features 260,000 sun-tracking reflective mirrors to maximize solar energy capture and can generate 1.86 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity per year, reducing CO2 emissions by over 1.5 million tons annually. The CSP plant will function as a baseload power source, combined with the integrated photovoltaic system, to establish a multi-source clean energy hub. The project is designed to convert solar energy into thermal power during the day, providing stable power generation for up to eight hours during nighttime. This technology is expected to benefit the country’s clean energy development and reduce carbon footprint. As of now, China has over 30 CSP plants under construction, with a total installed capacity of approximately 3 million kilowatts.