In a landmark moment for renewable energy engineering, China has launched the world’s first dual-tower solar-thermal power plant. Built in the Gobi Desert by the Three Gorges Corporation, this project merges innovation, efficiency, and sustainability to harness the sun’s immense power in one of the harshest climates on Earth.
The new facility takes advantage of the region’s extreme dryness and abundant sunlight. The desert receives only two to eight inches of rain annually but enjoys over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, making it an ideal location for large-scale solar projects.
At the heart of this groundbreaking installation are two 200-meter (656-foot) towers surrounded by an astonishing 27,000 heliostats large mirrors that track and reflect sunlight.
According to the South China Morning Post, these mirrors concentrate solar energy onto the towers, where the heat reaching up to 1,058°F (570°C) is stored in a high-temperature medium. This stored thermal energy is then converted into steam to drive turbines, allowing electricity generation to continue even after sunset or during cloudy conditions.
Unlike conventional photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, solar-thermal systems harness heat instead of light. This gives them a unique advantage: they can deliver stable, on-demand power, making them a vital complement to intermittent renewable sources like solar PV and wind.
What sets this facility apart is its dual-tower configuration, a world first in solar-thermal design. By operating two towers simultaneously, the system achieves an estimated 25% increase in efficiency compared to traditional single-tower plants.
The design also cleverly divides sunlight collection between the two towers: the east tower captures the morning sun and the west tower takes over in the afternoon.
Their overlapping mirror fields further reduce the total number of heliostats required cutting costs significantly, as mirrors account for nearly 60% of total construction expenses. This innovative setup not only boosts performance but also enhances economic feasibility for future solar-thermal projects.
The dual-tower power station forms part of a larger clean-energy complex in Guazhou County, integrating both solar and wind power. Together, these renewable installations are projected to supply electricity to around half a million households annually.
For China, this achievement symbolizes a broader evolution in its renewable energy strategy. Over the past decade, the country has aggressively expanded its clean power capacity across western provinces such as Gansu, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, transforming vast arid lands into energy-generating hubs.
As Dr. Wang Zhifeng, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explains: “Solar-thermal power is not a rival to PV, but a complementary technology capable of bridging the gaps in energy supply.”
Currently, China operates 21 commercial solar-thermal plants with a total capacity of 1.57 million kilowatts. Another 30 projects under construction will add 3.1 million kilowatts, reinforcing China’s position as a global leader in concentrated solar power (CSP) deployment.