Solar thermal power project invites tenders

China has begun soliciting tenders for its first planned solar thermal power plant. The 50-megawatt plant will be built on more than 100 hectares of uninhabited land in Hangjinqi in northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The project will cost an estimated RMB1.6 billion (US$240.5 million) and will generate about 120 million kilowatt-hours of power annually.
Solar thermal power plants use the sun’s heat to generate steam and drive turbines. They store heat during the day and use it to generate power at night, providing greater power supply stability than photovoltaic plants. They also do not need the expensive solar panels of photovoltaic plants.
English People’s Daily Online reports Hangjinqi was chosen over other sites in northwest China because it was closer to the grid and had sufficient sunlight and water supplies. Experts say the opening of the plant could mark the beginning of China’s solar thermal power industry.