China Unveils World’s 1st Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant

In July 2024, China has unveiled the world’s 1^st dual-tower solar thermal power plant located in Gansu Province, the plant utilizes an innovative design to significantly improve energy efficiency.

Features of Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant

The plant features two 200-meter-tall towers, each surrounded by nearly 30,000 mirrors that form overlapping circles to focus sunlight onto the towers. This dual-tower configuration is a key innovation that sets this plant apart from traditional solar thermal facilities.

How Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant Works?

1. When sunlight falls on mirrors it heats water inside the tower, generating steam that drives turbine to produce electricity.

• Unlike conventional thermal power plants, this design incorporates molten salt storage, which acts as a thermal battery.
• The molten salt retains extra heat collected during the day and releases it at night, allowing the plant to generate power continuously.

2. The mirrors used in the plant are made of specialized materials that can achieve a remarkable 94% reflection efficiency. Additionally, the mirrors are programmed to automatically track the sun’s movement, concentrating the rays on the eastern tower in the morning and adjusting westward in the afternoon.

Difference Between Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant and Conventional

Feature	Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant	Conventional Thermal Power Plant
Primary Energy Source	Concentrated sunlight	Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil)
Heat Collection	Two towers with mirrors focusing sunlight	Boiler heated by burning fossil fuels
Energy Storage	Molten salt thermal battery	Limited or no energy storage
Power Generation	Steam drives turbines to generate electricity	Steam drives turbines to generate electricity
Efficiency	Increased efficiency due to dual-tower design (24% improvement)	Generally lower efficiency
Environmental Impact	Clean energy, no carbon emissions	Significant carbon emissions and other pollutants
Scalability	Potential for further scaling with multiple towers	Limited scalability
Operational Time	Can operate continuously due to energy storage	Typically operates continuously

 

 

 

 

 

World largest solar power plant:

Bhadla Solar Plant located in the Thar Desert Rajasthan is world largest solar power plant. It spread over an area of 14000 acres and installed capacity 2245 MW.

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