Turning sunlight into strategy: China’s desert energy transformation

A vast stretch of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China is being transformed into a major hub for clean energy generation, led by large-scale solar thermal power projects.

The story by Xinhua says that in the desert outside Jiuquan City in Gansu Province, more than 25,000 heliostats are arranged in concentric circles, covering a total reflective area of 770,000 square meters — roughly the size of 108 standard football fields. These mirrors form the core of the Jinta multi-energy complementary 100,000-kilowatt molten salt tower solar thermal power station, one of China’s largest tower-type solar thermal facilities. It is also the biggest project of its kind among China’s first batch of desert, Gobi and barren-land demonstration power stations that were commissioned this year.

Xinhua notes that Gansu holds exceptional potential for renewable energy development. The inland northwestern province has around 197,000 square kilometres of unused land, accounting for 46.3 per cent of its total area, placing it among China’s most favourable regions for wind and solar projects. Since the launch of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), China has accelerated renewable energy deployment in barren regions, turning previously inaccessible deserts into what officials describe as “green power treasure troves.”

At midday, the heliostats at the Jinta facility automatically track the sun, directing concentrated beams toward a central heat-absorption tower. Molten salt inside the tower is heated to temperatures exceeding 550 degrees Celsius, stored in insulated tanks, and later used to produce steam that drives electricity generation. “The station has been connected to the grid since this June and is expected to produce 1.45 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, equivalent to saving 480,000 tonnes of standard coal,” said Huang Lushan, deputy manager of the project.

Solar thermal power, which stores solar energy using molten salt or similar media, enables both peak shaving and energy storage, allowing for a round-the-clock clean electricity supply. Xinhua cited a 2024 blue book on China’s solar thermal power industry, noting that the technology has expanded globally since its commercialisation in the 1980s. Gansu alone has now reached an installed solar thermal capacity of 620,000 kilowatts.

Another flagship project is the Yumen 100,000-kilowatt molten salt linear Fresnel solar thermal power station. Based on optical principles developed by 18th-century French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, the system uses ground-level primary mirrors and elevated secondary mirrors to focus sunlight onto tubes heating molten salt.

“Compared to other solar thermal technologies, the Fresnel system has the benefits of lower construction difficulty, easier maintenance, and higher safety,” said Zhu Yi, production and operation manager of the station. When combined with photovoltaic, wind and storage facilities, it can generate 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours annually, enough to supply 3.5 million households.

Data from the National Energy Administration shows that solar power, including thermal, added 240 million kilowatts of capacity in the first three quarters of this year. Xinhua reports that supportive policies and market demand are driving technological breakthroughs in materials and core equipment. “We independently developed the heliostat and mirror field control system,” Huang said, adding that improvements in heat storage and molten salt pumps have enhanced efficiency and reduced costs.

The rapid expansion is also revitalising traditional industries such as special glass, steel and salt production. At a thermal technology company in Yumen, production lines were operating at full capacity. “This is ultra-clear float glass, a core component for solar thermal power. For a long time, it was imported, but we broke the technical barrier and built the province’s first production line, now dominating the domestic market,” said Huo Fu, executive deputy general manager of the company.

By Tamilla Hasanova