China General Nuclear Power Group announced on Monday the start of construction for a 50 MW trough-based concentrated solar power plant at 4,550 meters altitude in Damxung County, Xizang Autonomous Region. The facility, located near Lhasa, integrates a 400 MW photovoltaic system and is set for full operation by 2027. Xinhua reported preparatory digging began that day amid efforts to diversify power sources.
China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced on Monday the start of construction for a 50 MW trough-based concentrated solar power plant at an altitude of 4,550 meters in Damxung County, near Lhasa in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The facility uses parabolic trough technology with heat-transfer oil, covering a mirror field of 242,000 square meters across 68 collector loops. Eight loops feature China's self-developed 8.6-meter-wide troughs, the largest in commercial solar thermal projects worldwide, according to CGN.
The solar thermal plant forms part of an integrated solar thermal and 400 MW photovoltaic project, with PV construction beginning in September last year. It includes a 6-hour molten salt energy storage system for nighttime generation and to absorb curtailed PV power, compensating for PV intermittency, CGN stated in its press release.
Located in a cold, high-altitude, low-oxygen zone, construction is limited to April through October. The team has installed heating, oxygen supply, and a hyperbaric chamber for worker safety. Once operational by 2027, the project is expected to generate 719 million kWh annually, saving 216,900 tonnes of coal equivalent and cutting 652,300 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
It has already created over 2,000 local jobs and generated more than 5.2 million yuan (about $753,600) in local economic income. Xizang's government aims to boost installed capacity to 20 million kW by 2026, leveraging abundant solar, wind, and water resources, per its work report.
