wiredinUSA January2014

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Picture : Alessandro Paiva

ASIA & AFRICA NEWS

TheAsian Development Bank is helpingChina to build a large-scale concentrated solar thermal power plant, believed to be the first of its kind. "This pioneering project will demonstrate how the PRC could leverage its indigenous solar resources to diversify its energy mix in a sustainable manner. With this comprehensive assistance package of low-cost financing, policy advice, and capacity development, we expect successful demonstration will lead to wider uptake of CSP plants in the PRC in the medium term," said Shigeru Yamamura, a senior energy specialist at ADB's East Asia department. The loan will help build a 50MW power plant capable of generating 197 gigawatt-hours of electricity using a renewable energy technology that converts direct normal China gets a first

irradiation into usable heat, generating medium- to high-temperature saturated steam that runs the steam turbine for power generation. Qinghai province, where the plant will be situated, is located in a high plateau and is currently ranked first in solar power capacity concentration throughout thePRC. It has over 2GW of solar photovoltaic installed capacity, which is more than 60 percent of the national capacity. Theproject site is located inanarea where minimum overnight temperatures can fall to -27ºC. This is the first application of a concentrated solar power plant in such low winter temperatures. The government of the PRC has since announceda target of 1GWof concentrated solar thermal power capacity by 2015 and 3GW by 2020.

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

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