The 50-megawatt solar thermal power station in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (CAI ZENGLE / FOR CHINA DAILY)

A solar thermal power station in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, began full capacity production recently.

The 50-megawatt power station, on a wide stretch of desert and grassland in the town of Naomaohu, is the first solar thermal power generation project in the region. A total of 1.6 billion yuan (US$248 million) has been invested to construct the project since October 2017.

Hami, enjoying around 3,200 hours of sunshine a year, has ample solar energy resources, and the project's location is among the best in the country.

China Energy Engineering Investment operates the project, which features a mirror field with a reflection area of 696,751 square meters and a 220-meter-high molten salt tower for heat absorption.

Photo taken on Sept 2, 2021, shows the 50-megawatt solar thermal power station in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (CHEN JIANJUN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

The power station can generate power around the clock because it can store solar energy and provide high-quality and stable electricity supply at night. It uses a "light-heat-electricity" power generation mode.

The project uses tens of thousands of mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a receiver at the top of the heat absorption tower to create a temperature above 800 C. Steam is then generated to drive a turbine to produce electricity.

The project can supply 198 million kWh of power annually, saving 61,900 metric tons of standard coal a year.

That is equivalent to reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide by about 61.9 tons, nitrogen oxides by 61.9 tons, soot by 19.8 tons and carbon dioxide by 154,800 tons.

Photo taken on Sept 2, 2021, shows the 50-megawatt solar thermal power station in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (CHEN JIANJUN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Zhang Yanli, from State Grid's Hami branch, said that in contrast to photovoltaic panels that fail to generate electricity at night and wind power generators that can easily be affected by weather changes, the solar thermal power station can generate power steadily with lower costs and higher efficiency.

Xinjiang started to provide a stable power supply to other places across the country in 2010, when it supplied 3 billion kWh. Last year it supplied 105 billion kWh, earning the region's power industry more than 100 billion yuan since 2010.

This year, the region is expected to supply 110 billion kWh of electricity to other regions and provinces, with a quarter of that generated by clean energy.

The region is pushing forward the transition from carbon-intensive fossil-fuel-based energy to green, low-carbon and renewable energy to help the nation achieve its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

Contact the writers at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn