Have you ever wondered how a solar power plant can produce electricity at night? It sounds like magic, right? Yet, China has done it again, introducing innovations that change the way we think about solar energy.

Presenting an extraordinary power plant that operates even after sunset!

China Three Gorges Corporation

How did China build the night-time solar power plant?

In 2024, on a vast area of 800,000 square meters, Chinese engineers configured a system that stores solar energy during the day and releases it at night. According to the project manager, Wu Weiguo, this innovative power plant is expected to produce about 390 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of approximately 150,000 households!

Wu Weiguo added:

With this technology, we can reduce CO2 emissions by 350,000 tons annually, which is a significant step towards a greener future.

But how exactly does it work? The secret lies in mirrors and molten salt.

Highly efficient mirrors

Imagine each of these mirrors as a perfectly positioned lens, reflecting sunlight with almost 100% efficiency. Specifically, these mirrors have a reflectivity coefficient of up to 94%! They focus the light on high towers that look like futuristic lighthouses. But that's not the end of the technological wonders.

see on YouTube: The world's first solar power plant with two towers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqOsbioyCmM
CCTV Video News Agency

Molten salt - the secret ingredient of nighttime magic

Have you ever heard of molten salt used in power plants? These towers are filled with it. Molten salt acts as a massive thermal battery, storing the heat collected by the mirrors during the day. This way, even after the sun sets, the stored energy is slowly released, heating the generator and producing electricity. Molten salt is used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) and thermal energy storage (TES) in solar power plants. Operators can benefit from a new three-component molten salt mixture based on calcium, potassium, and sodium nitrate.

Fascinating, isn't it?

Example of a sample of molten salt | gp-holding.com

Technology of concentrated solar power (CSP)

Similar technologies are already being used in other parts of the world.

An example is the Ivanpah solar power plant in California, USA. Ivanpah uses concentrated solar power (CSP) technology with mirrors that direct sunlight onto central towers, although they do not use molten salt on the same scale as the Chinese.

Jim West | Imagebroker | Corbis

Hybrid power plants

The next step in the evolution of solar power plants are hybrid systems. In Australia, for example, the Port Augusta project introduces hybrid power plants combining CSP with lithium-ion batteries, increasing efficiency and energy storage capabilities.

Vast Solar

Noor power plant in Morocco

Another example is the Noor complex in Morocco, which is one of the largest CSP projects in the world. The Noor Ouarzazate complex in Morocco is the largest thermal solar power plant in the world with a capacity of 510 MW, expanded in the last phase with a 70 MW photovoltaic farm. Construction began in 2013, and the first installation (NOOR I) started in 2016. Subsequent stages were completed in 2018, adding NOOR II (200 MW) and NOOR III (150 MW). NOOR III uses CSP technology with a solar tower and molten salt, storing energy for 7.5 hours after sunset. Thanks to this, Noor III can store solar energy for seven hours after sunset, ensuring stable electricity supplies even at night.

NOOR 3 | Sener

What does this mean for the future?

Examples of innovations such as the Chinese solar power plant producing electricity at night show that the future of solar energy is bright – literally and figuratively.

The ability to generate energy around the clock changes the game, bringing us closer to a world where renewable energy can be the primary power source. This solar power plant is not only a technical marvel but also proof of how innovations can transform our reality. By using advanced materials and technologies, such as high-efficiency reflective mirrors and thermal batteries with molten salt, it is possible to store and release energy in a way that seemed like science fiction not long ago.

For companies like Energeks, a manufacturer of medium and high voltage transformers, transducers, lithium-ion batteries, and a provider of many innovative solutions for a wide range of electro-energy development, innovative approaches to renewable energy storage and utilization can be the foundation of building awareness of the role of innovation and progress for a better future!

Sources:

news.cgtn.com

iberdrola.com