IEEE Spectrum February 14, 2019
Solar thermal plants are a potentially crucial power source for global grids as they add more wind and PV. However, the technology is comparatively costly and thus growing slowly relative to PV and wind. China’s program has been viewed as an opportunity to put solar thermal technology back on track, slash the cost of solar thermal power and catapult Chinese firms to the head of the global pack. In the final days of 2018 a 100-megawatt solar thermal generating station capable of running around-the-clock, 365-days-a-year was to be connected to the Northwest China regional power grid. Due to overly-ambitious timing and market uncertainty, delays and cancellations the project has stalled…read more. Report
Shouhang’s solar thermal power plants in Dunhuang. Credit: Beijing Shouhang Resources Saving Co.