Chinese company SDIC Gansu New Energy has commissioned the 750 MW Akesai Huidong solar power plant in Gansu province. It is claimed to be the most powerful hybrid solar power plant in the country. It produces electrical energy day and night, using a solar concentrator as a buffer during the night. During the day, all work is provided by the Sun, which is practical and cheaper than using batteries.
Image source: SDIC Gansu New Energy
Solar concentrators (Concentrated Solar Power) are not a new invention, but their implementation requires a lot of space and is associated with construction work. At the heart of the solar concentrator is a tall tower surrounded by a huge field of mirrors aimed at a single point at the top of the tower. Focused sunlight creates high temperatures that melt the salts and store energy in the melt. Essentially, it is a heat accumulator. At night, the accumulated heat is used to generate electricity. The Akesai Huidong installation, for example, is capable of delivering 110 MW of power to the grid for 8 hours continuously.
Combined with a field of photovoltaic panels, the Akesai Huidong power plant has a capacity of 750 MW. The total area of the power plant is 16.5 km². Mirrors with a tower occupy an area of 2 km² in this complex. The 200 m high tower is surrounded by 11,960 pentagonal mirrors arranged in concentric circles. The reflective surface area of each mirror reaches 48.5 m², and the total reflection area is 580,000 m². Mirrors are wind and dust resistant.
Construction of a two-tower solar concentrator
China’s enormous resources make it possible to implement unique projects. In the same province, another company is building a two-tower solar concentrator, which has no analogues in the world yet. The two towers will use a mixed field of mirrors, which should increase the installation’s efficiency by about a quarter. The project is planned to be connected to the grid before the end of this year, and it could point in a new direction for the development of green energy.