China builds world’s first dual-tower solar plant

October 11, 2025

China has achieved a historic milestone in renewable energy innovation with the launch of the world’s first dual-tower solar-thermal power plant. Located in the heart of the Gobi Desert, this revolutionary project marks a new era for sustainable electricity generation in one of the planet’s most extreme environments.

A landmark project by the Three Gorges Corporation

Developed by the China Three Gorges Corporation, a global leader in wind and solar energy, the facility represents a major step forward in clean energy engineering. Situated in Guazhou County, the project merges advanced solar technology, high-efficiency design, and large-scale renewable power production.

Why the Gobi Desert is ideal for solar power

Stretching across northern China and southern Mongolia, the Gobi Desert is the world’s sixth-largest desert. Known for its arid climate, it receives only two to eight inches of rain annually—and in some areas, less than two inches.
With over 3,000 hours of sunlight each year, the region provides ideal conditions for solar-thermal energy generation, where intense sunlight can be efficiently converted into heat and stored for later use.

Inside the dual-tower solar-thermal system

The cutting-edge facility features two 200-meter-tall (656-foot) solar towers surrounded by 27,000 heliostat mirrors. These mirrors precisely track the sun’s movement, concentrating sunlight onto the towers.
Temperatures soar to 1,058°F (570°C), heating a special medium that stores thermal energy. The stored heat is then used to produce steam, which powers turbines to generate electricity—even at night or during cloudy weather.

Unlike traditional photovoltaic (PV) panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity, solar-thermal systems capture and utilize heat. This allows for stable, on-demand energy production, making the technology a powerful complement to intermittent renewable sources like wind and PV solar.

The efficiency edge of the dual-tower design

The plant’s dual-tower configuration improves energy efficiency by approximately 25% compared to single-tower systems. Each tower captures sunlight at different times of day—one in the morning and the other in the afternoon—ensuring continuous power collection.
Additionally, the overlapping mirror fields help reduce construction costs, as heliostats typically account for around 60% of total project expenses.

 Core component of China’s renewable energy expansion

This innovative power station is part of a massive clean-energy hub that integrates both solar and wind power installations across the Gobi region. Together, these facilities are expected to supply electricity to over 500,000 households annually.

For China, this project underscores a broader strategic shift toward energy independence and carbon neutrality. The country has rapidly expanded its renewable infrastructure across provinces like Gansu, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, positioning itself as a global leader in solar-thermal and concentrated solar power (CSP).

According to Dr. Wang Zhifeng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, solar-thermal technology serves as a complementary system to PV, filling supply gaps and stabilizing the energy grid during non-sunlight hours.

China’s growing solar-thermal footprint

Currently, China operates 21 commercial solar-thermal power plants with a total capacity of 1.57 million kilowatts. Another 30 projects under construction will add roughly 3.1 million kilowatts, further solidifying the nation’s leadership in CSP deployment and sustainable energy development.