Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Power Plant

China has unveiled the world’s first dual-tower solar thermal power plant located in Gansu Province. The plant features two 200-meter-tall towers, each surrounded by nearly 30,000 mirror that forms overlapping circles to focus sunlight onto towers.

Features:

1. Dual-Tower Configuration: The plant unique design involves two towers and overlapping mirror circles, allowing mirrors to serve either tower which helps in boosting efficiency.
2. Molten Salt Storage: Acts as a thermal battery, storing excess heat collected during the day and releasing it at night for continuous power generation.
3. High Reflection Efficiency: Mirrors are made from specialized materials achieving about 94% reflection efficiency.
4. Sun- Tracking Mirrors: Automatically adjust to follow the sun movement, concentrating the rays on eastern tower in morning and adjust westward in the afternoon.

Working: When sunlight falls on mirrors it heats water inside the tower, generating steam that drives turbine to produce electricity.

Difference between Dual-Tower Solar Thermal Plant and Conventional Thermal Power plant: Unlike conventional thermal power plant, this design incorporates molten salt storage, which acts as thermal battery.

The dual tower design boosts the efficiency by 24% which helps in accelerating the clean energy transition.

Value addition: Bhadla Solar Plant located in the Thar Desert Rajasthan is world largest solar power plant. It spread over an area of 14000 acres and installed capacity 2245 MW.

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