Construction has just started in northwest Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region for a major solar power plant as part of China's attempts to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy. The Hanas New Energy Group, located in Yinchuan, Ningxia, intends to invest 2.25 billion yuan ($ 354 million) to make a solar farm in Yanchi region with a target of 92.5 megawatts. Set for achievement in October 2013, the project signifies Asia's first integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) place.
China announced its goals, in early March of building 235 million KW of power creation capacity from clean energy more in the next five years in an attempt to trim the nation's heavy reliance on fossil fuels. The capacity of solar power is expected five million kilowatts to be created by 2015 with projects designed in remote regions like Xinjiang, Ningxia, Tibet Inner and Mongolia.
Yet, most anticipated major solar projects utilize solar thermal technology only that deploys mirrors to warm liquid to produce steam that drive an electricity-generating turbine. An ISCC plant, though, combines a solar field with a gas fired turbine to boost the efficiency of steamed turbine electrical energy generators by 25 %, compared to a conventional solar plant, whose process relies heavily on weather situation, Hanas' president Ma Fuqiang said.
ISSC plants is being operated successfully in nations like United States and the Egypt, while more are being making in Morocco and Algeria, and several plants are on the planning board in India, Iran and Mexico.
Ningxia has a major advantage in its coal, wind power and solar energy resources. As the biggest urban natural gas manufacturer and national heat supplier of the region, Hanas has developed solar and wind farms as its main business since 2000.