China connected the 50 MW Delingha CSP plant to the grid on June 30, the first large-scale CSP plant to come online in the country, according to media reports.
The Delingha CSP plant uses parabolic trough technology and has been developed by China General Nuclear Power (CGN). Spain’s Ingeteam is the detailed engineering contractor.
The project is expected to receive a feed-in-tariff of RMB 1.15/kWh ($170/MWh).
The Delingha plant is located in Western China at 3,100 meters above sea level. The site has a direct normal irradiance (DNI) level of more than 2,150 kWh/m2/year.
Delingha is one of 20 projects selected under China’s 1.35 GW CSP Commercial Demonstration Pilot Program.
China is rapidly expanding domestic renewable energy capacity to reduce carbon emissions and pollution levels worsened by a surge in fossil fuel-fired capacity.
Global CSP activity in Q1 2018
Source: CSP Today Global Tracker Quarterly Report.
Chinese groups are also expanding renewables operations and partnerships overseas. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and major EPC group China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) agreed to explore joint investment opportunities in power generation and water desalination in the Middle East and Asia.
In April, ACWA Power signed an EPC contract with Shanghai Electric, a major Chinese power company, to install its 700 MW DEWA CSP project in Dubai.
The dual-technology DEWA CSP project, awarded by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in September 2017, sets a new industry record for size and cost-efficiency. The project was awarded at a tariff price of $73/MWh and includes up to 15 hours of energy storage capacity.
