China Activates World-First Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Power Station in Gobi Desert

Pioneering Renewable Energy in the Gobi Desert

China has officially activated a groundbreaking solar thermal power station in the heart of the Gobi Desert, located in Guazhou County, Gansu Province. This facility, developed by the China Three Gorges Corporation, represents a significant leap in renewable energy technology, featuring a world-first dual-tower design that feeds a single turbine system.

The innovative plant utilizes nearly 27,000 mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto two distinct towers, enabling highly efficient power generation. The activation of this station underscores China's commitment to expanding its clean energy infrastructure and exploring advanced solutions for sustainable power.

Innovative Dual-Tower Technology

The core of this new power station's innovation lies in its unique dual-tower configuration. Approximately 27,000 heliostats (computer-controlled mirrors) are strategically arranged to focus solar energy onto two 200-meter-high towers, positioned roughly one kilometer apart. This setup allows for optimized sunlight capture throughout the day, with the east tower collecting morning sun and the west tower taking over in the afternoon. This design is reported to be approximately 25 percent more effective than traditional single-tower systems.

The concentrated sunlight generates intense heat, which is then used to melt and store salt at temperatures reaching up to 570 degrees Celsius. This molten salt acts as a thermal energy storage medium, allowing the plant to continue generating electricity even after sunset or during cloudy periods. The stored heat produces steam that drives a single turbine system, a novel integration that enhances efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Strategic Impact and Future Outlook

The new solar thermal power station is part of a broader clean-energy hub in the region, distinguishing it from many earlier stand-alone solar thermal projects in other parts of the world. By integrating with extensive solar and wind farms, the plant is projected to supply electricity to approximately half a million households annually.

This development highlights China's ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve its ambitious climate goals. The dual-tower design, by requiring fewer mirrors due to overlapping fields, also contributes to significant cost savings, as mirrors typically constitute a major portion of construction expenses for such facilities. The successful operation of this plant is expected to pave the way for the expansion of solar thermal power generation and multi-tower systems in China, overcoming previous capacity constraints of single-tower designs.