Potential and transition of concentrated solar power: A case study of China

Elevating energy demand, depleting fossil fuel resources and environmental crisis has forced China to initiate ambitious plans to integrate renewable energy generation with the national grid. Efforts have been made by the government particularly in the 12th national 5-year plan to attenuate energy generation from carbon-emitting resources. Solar PV and Wind energy have been the focus of attention in the past ten years. Development of CSP in China is still at its infancy phase. The paper evaluates the potential of CSP development by assessing solar, water, land, climatic conditions and manmade resources as key criteria for suitable site selection of CSP plants in China. It assesses the current energy-mix of China and highlights the paradox of fossil fuel resources prevailing the energy portfolio. It presents the need for CSP in the current scenario to overcome the ever-growing energy demand, help decarbonization and environmental degradation. An analysis comprising of evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats based on current trends, government policies, ground realities, statistical literature and relevant regulations is performed to review the CSP development in China. The results argue even though current development of CSP in China is slow and unnecessarily delayed and a few CSP plants are either altered significantly or even cancelled in past, particularly with its first phase of opening 20 CSP plants, the technology can be boosted if proper and timely measures are instigated by the stakeholders particularly the legislators. The sitting factors for CSP technologies concerning particular locations suggested in the current research can be valuable in the decision-making process for site and CSP technology selection. Recent history suggests that, even though the price of CSP plants in China under construction is still 40% lesser than plants being anywhere else, there was no significant development as planned in 2019, 2020 has been a little better with several projects in the pipeline come into operation. The analysis presented can help sort out strengths and overcome threats and weakness in the deployment of CSP technology in China. The prevailing key issues in CSP growth along with precautionary needed measures for threats are also summarized at the end.