Image Courtesy: People’s Daily
China has completed the installation of 15,927 mirrors at a 100-megawatt solar thermal power plant being built in one of the country’s highest and most challenging environments. The project in Amdo County, Nagqu, in the Xizang Autonomous Region, is expected to connect to the grid in October 2026.
The facility is designed to use concentrated solar power and molten salt to generate electricity at an altitude where extreme cold, strong winds, and weak grid infrastructure create significant engineering challenges. The completed solar field covers approximately 800,000 square meters, or 8.6 million square feet.
The plant is the first tower-type solar thermal power facility in Xizang and is being built at an ultra-high altitude. Its 15,927 heliostats are computer-controlled mirrors that track the Sun and reflect concentrated sunlight toward a receiver positioned on top of a 210-meter, or roughly 689-foot, central tower.
Unlike conventional solar photovoltaic panels, the facility converts sunlight into heat before generating electricity. The concentrated solar energy heats molten salt, which can retain thermal energy and later release it to produce electricity.
That storage capability is particularly important because it allows the plant to continue generating power when direct sunlight is unavailable. Nagqu receives more than 2,800 hours of sunshine annually, providing the project with a strong solar resource despite its harsh environment.
Engineers have had to modify construction and operating techniques to cope with freezing temperatures, powerful winds, and the difficulties associated with working at extreme altitude. The plant will also use an intelligent control system intended to improve efficiency and support automated operation and maintenance.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate approximately 255 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Project estimates indicate that it could reduce standard coal consumption by about 60,000 tonnes each year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 165,000 tonnes.
The project is also expected to provide economic benefits locally. Construction activities have included specialized training for farmers and herders, with project estimates suggesting these efforts could help increase local incomes by 118 million yuan, or approximately $17.47 million.
With all of its heliostats now installed, the project has reached a major construction milestone. If the October 2026 grid-connection target is met, the facility will demonstrate how large-scale thermal solar generation can be deployed even in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
