Key facts
- China targets 15 GW of solar thermal power capacity by 2030.
- Costs are expected to be comparable to coal-fired power.
- Construction costs per kilowatt have fallen by half in a decade.
China is accelerating the development of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) as a renewable energy option, aiming for around 15 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2030. The policy roadmap, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, seeks to make CSP costs comparable to coal-fired power and foster an internationally competitive new energy industry with domestically controllable technologies.