On June 10, at an altitude of 4,650 meters on the snowy plateau, the Tibet Kaitou Anduo Tushuo 100-megawatt solar thermal power station, the world's highest-altitude and Tibet's first tower-type solar thermal project contracted by Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as PowerChina Northwest), held its groundbreaking ceremony.
Located approximately 17.5 kilometers east of Panag Town in Anduo County, Nagqu City, Tibet, the project site has an elevation ranging from 4,645 to 4,657 meters. The station has an installed capacity of 100 megawatts. It employs molten salt tower technology, with a total mirror field collection area of 800,000 square meters and an 8-hour heat storage system, using binary molten salt as the heat storage and heat transfer medium.
As one of the first domestic enterprises to participate in the construction of CSP projects, PowerChina Northwest has developed a comprehensive technical standard system, technical service system, and scientific and technological innovation system representing the national competitiveness. It has undertaken six EPC projects for solar thermal power generation, completed feasibility studies with a total installed capacity of over 4,000MW, and achieved a total installed capacity of 850MW in the design and surveying stage, with 650MW in EPC projects. Its design and general contracting performance ranks among the top in the country.
At the construction site of the Anduo solar thermal power project, the weather is highly variable and the climatic conditions are harsh. The oxygen content is less than 60% of that in the plains, with an average annual temperature of minus 2.8°C and constant strong winds. The project also faces multiple challenges such as a weak power grid and transportation difficulties. The PowerChina Northwest team will focus on core technological bottlenecks in the design, construction, operation and maintenance monitoring, and safety performance enhancement of tower CSP stations under complex conditions such as extremely high altitude, cold climate, high seismic intensity, and strong winds. Leveraging its leading advantages in planning and design, as well as its extensive experience in solar thermal project general contracting management, the team aims to achieve continuous and stable operation of solar thermal units in extremely low temperatures of minus 40°C and to build a benchmark CSP station on the plateau. This project will contribute to the high-quality economic and social development of Anduo, Tibet, and the green energy transformation of the region.
Upon completion, the project will generate an average annual electricity output of 255.08 million kilowatt-hours, with an average annual utilization hour of approximately 2,551 hours. It will save 60,000 tons of standard coal annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 165,000 tons. The project will provide stable and clean electricity to Anduo County and its surrounding areas, inject strong green energy into the Tibet power grid, and offer valuable experience and solutions for large-scale development of clean energy in high-altitude and cold regions.