China is preparing a giant solar power plant in the Xizang plateau. This project does not use ordinary solar panels, but 15,927 mirrors to capture the sun's heat and convert it into electricity.
According to a report by Xizang Daily, quoted by China Daily, a tower-type thermal solar power plant in Amdo County, Xizang Autonomous Region, has completed installing all the mirrors. The project is said to be the tallest tower-type thermal solar power plant in the world.
The 100 megawatt plant was built by the Xizang Development Investment Group. This project is the first of its kind in Xizang and is part of the region's energy development plan for the period 2021-2025.
The location is in northern Xizang, a region that receives more than 2,800 hours of sunshine per year. On an area of 800,000 square meters, mirrors called heliostats reflect sunlight onto a receiving tower in the middle of the area.
A heliostat is a mirror that can be directed to follow the position of the sun. Its function is to focus light on one point so that the heat is collected more strongly.
The investment value of this project is more than 2 billion yuan, or around Rp5.24 trillion. The estimate is based on an exchange rate of around Rp2,621 per yuan.
China Daily, quoted Friday, May 29, reported that this plant uses liquid salt technology. The mirror concentrates the sun's heat on the receiving tower. The heat then heats the salt to about 560 degrees Celsius. The stored heat energy is then converted into electricity through a heat exchange system.
Here lies the importance. Unlike conventional solar panels or photovoltaics, tower-type thermal PV plants can store heat. Therefore, the plant can still generate electricity after sunset.
The project is expected to help supply electricity in northern Xizang, a region that faces severe natural challenges and an electrical grid that has not always been strong.
According to estimates, the plant can generate around 255 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. This amount is equivalent to 60,000 tons of standard coal. Carbon dioxide emissions are also expected to be reduced by 165,000 tons per year.
The developer said the project uses an intelligent control system. Special research was carried out because the project location is extreme, namely very high, low temperature, often hit by strong winds, and has a weak electrical network connection.
The company is now accelerating the construction of the receiving tower and power plant facilities. The target is that this thermal power plant will be connected to the electricity grid in October.
The technology used allows the plant to continue to generate electricity after sunset, helping to provide a more stable supply of electricity to the grid.
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