China, Baicheng: China General Nuclear’s 100 MW Jixi concentrated solar power plant has started delivering electricity in Baicheng, Jilin Province, marking a milestone for solar thermal technology in China’s cold northern regions.
The project, located in Da’an City, is the first solar thermal power plant in Northeast China and the country’s northernmost CSP facility. Situated at 45.36°N latitude, the plant operates in a severe cold climate zone, where temperatures can fall to -37.3 °C and wind speeds can reach Force 9.
With an installed capacity of 100 MW and up to eight hours of thermal storage, the plant is designed to support safe, stable and continuous operation. It uses a large mirror field to concentrate sunlight onto a heat collection system, enabling heat storage and electricity generation when required.
The Jixi project forms part of the 1.4 GW Jixi New Energy Base, which includes 800 MW of wind power, 400 MW of photovoltaic capacity and 200 MW of CSP. The base will deliver power through the Lugu UHVDC transmission line, the first ultra-high-voltage direct current channel of the Northeast Power Grid.
The project is one of two 100 MW tower CSP plants connected to the Lugu line, supporting long-distance renewable energy transmission from Baicheng.
According to project information, the plant is expected to generate 180 million kWh of electricity annually. This is equivalent to saving around 54,000 t of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 139,000 t.
The construction team also developed solutions for cold-region operation and challenging ground conditions, including saline-alkali soil.
Source: Solar Paces
