List of solar thermal power stations facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This article is about the biggest power stations that make electricity using solar thermal power. This special kind of solar power uses the sun's heat to create energy, often by focusing sunlight with mirrors. It's also known as concentrated solar power.

Amazing Solar Power Plants
Images for kids
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Amazing Solar Power Plants

Solar thermal power plants are like giant magnifying glasses. They use mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight onto a small area. This concentrated sunlight creates a lot of heat. This heat is then used to boil water, making steam. The steam spins a turbine, which is like a big fan, and this turbine powers a generator to make electricity.

Some of these plants can even store heat. This means they can keep making electricity even after the sun goes down! This stored heat is usually in special salts that can stay hot for many hours.

Big Solar Power Plants Working Now

Here are some of the largest solar thermal power stations that are currently making electricity around the world. Their "electrical capacity" tells you how much power they can produce, measured in megawatts (MW). One megawatt can power hundreds of homes!

Big Solar Thermal Power Stations (50 MW or more)
Name	Country	Electrical capacity (MW)	When it started	How it works	Heat storage (hours)	Cool facts
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Phase IV	United Arab Emirates	700	2023	Parabolic trough, solar tower	15	This huge park combines two types of solar thermal tech.
Noor / Ouarzazate Solar Power Station	Morocco	510		Parabolic trough and solar power tower	3 / 7 / 7.5	This plant has grown in stages, adding more power and storage.
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility	US	392	2014	Solar power tower		It was finished in early 2014.
Mojave Solar Project	US	280		Parabolic trough		Completed in December 2014.
Solana Generating Station	US	280	October 2013	Parabolic trough	6	It can store heat for 6 hours.
Genesis Solar Energy Project	US	280	2014	Parabolic trough		Started making power in April 2014.
Solaben Solar Power Station	Spain	200	2012	Parabolic trough		Several parts of this station were finished between 2012 and 2013.
Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS)	US	160	1984	Parabolic trough		This was originally a very large complex built in the 1980s.
Solnova Solar Power Station	Spain	150	2010	Parabolic trough		Different parts of Solnova were completed in 2010.
Andasol solar power station	Spain	150	2008	Parabolic trough	7.5	This plant uses special molten salt to store heat for 7.5 hours.
Extresol Solar Power Station	Spain	150	2010	Parabolic trough	7.5	Like Andasol, it can store heat for 7.5 hours.
Dhursar	India	125	2014	Fresnel reflector		This plant uses a different type of mirror system.
Ashalim Power Station (Negev Energy)	Israel	121		Parabolic trough	4.5	It has 4.5 hours of heat storage.
Megalim Power Station (Negev Energy)	Israel	121		Solar power tower		This plant is also in the Negev desert.
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project	US	110		Solar power tower	10	It can store heat for 10 hours.
Cerro Dominador Solar Thermal Plant (Atacama 1)	Chile	110		Solar power tower	17.5	This plant has a huge 17.5 hours of heat storage!
Shouhang Dunhuang	China	110		Solar power tower	15 / 7.5	It has two phases, one with 15 hours and another with 7.5 hours of storage.
Kathu Solar Park	South Africa	100		Parabolic trough	4.5	Completed in 2018 with 4.5 hours of storage.
KaXu Solar One	South Africa	100		Parabolic trough	2.5	It has 2.5 hours of heat storage.
Xina Solar One	South Africa	100		Parabolic trough	5.5	Started in 2017 with 5.5 hours of storage.
Manchasol Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough	7.5	Both parts of this plant have 7.5 hours of storage.
Valle Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough	7.5	Completed in 2011 with 7.5 hours of storage.
Helioenergy Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough		Two parts completed in 2011 and 2012.
Aste Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough	8	Both parts have 8 hours of heat storage.
Solacor Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough		Two parts completed in 2012.
Helios Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough		Two parts completed in 2012.
Shams solar power station	UAE	100		Parabolic trough		Shams 1 was completed in 2013.
Termosol Solar Power Station	Spain	100		Parabolic trough		Both Termosol 1 and 2 were completed in 2013.
Palma del Río I & II	Spain	100		Parabolic trough		Two parts completed in 2010 and 2011.
Ilanga 1	South Africa	100		Parabolic trough	5	Operational since 2018 with 5 hours of storage.
CSNP Royal Tech Urat CSP	China	100		Parabolic trough	10	Completed in 2020 with 10 hours of storage.
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center	US	75		ISCC with parabolic trough		Completed in 2010.
Nevada Solar One	US	75		Parabolic trough		This plant has been running since 2007.
Dacheng Dunhuang CSP	China	60		Fresnel reflector	16 / 15	Two phases, one with 16 hours and another with 15 hours of storage.
Supcon Solar Delingha	China	60		Solar power tower	2 / 7	Two phases, with different storage times.
Guzmán	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2012.
Khi Solar One	South Africa	50		Solar power tower	2	Completed in 2016 with 2 hours of storage.
Bokpoort	South Africa	50		Parabolic trough	9	It has 9 hours of heat storage.
Puertollano Solar Thermal Power Plant	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2009.
Alvarado I	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2009.
La Florida	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2010.
Arenales PS	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2013.
Casablanca	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2013.
Majadas de Tiétar	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2010.
La Dehesa	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2010.
Lebrija-1	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2011.
Astexol 2	Spain	50		Parabolic trough	7.5	Completed in 2011 with 7.5 hours of storage.
Morón	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2012.
La Africana	Spain	50		Parabolic trough	7.5	Completed in 2012 with 7.5 hours of storage.
Olivenza 1	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2012.
Orellana	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2012.
Godawari Green Energy Limited	India	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2013.
Enerstar Villena Power Plant	Spain	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2013.
Megha Solar Plant	India	50		Parabolic trough		Completed in 2014.
Delingha Solar Plant	China	50		Parabolic trough	9	Completed in 2018 with 9 hours of storage.
Shagaya CSP	Kuwait	50		Parabolic trough	10	Started in 2019 with 10 hours of storage.
Waad Al Shamal ISCC Plant	Saudi Arabia	50		ISCC with parabolic trough		Started in 2018. This is a larger plant that uses solar power as a part of its energy mix.
Qinghai Gonghe CSP	China	50		Solar power tower	6	Completed in 2019 with 6 hours of storage.
Luneng Haixi CSP	China	50		Solar power tower	12	Completed in 2019 with 12 hours of storage.
Hami CSP	China	50		Solar power tower	13	Completed in 2019 with 13 hours of storage.
Yumen Xinneng CSP	China	50	2020	Beam down tower	9

New Solar Power Plants Being Built

These are big solar thermal power stations that are currently being built. They will soon be ready to make clean electricity!

Solar Thermal Power Stations Under Construction (50 MW or more)
Name	Country	Electrical capacity (MW)	Expected completion	How it works	Cool facts
Golmud CSP	China	200		Power tower
Shouhang Yumen CSP	China	100		Solar power tower
Redstone Solar Thermal Power	South Africa	100	2023	Solar power tower	It will have 12 hours of heat storage.
Erdos Solar Power Plant	China	50		Parabolic trough
Gansu Akesai CSP	China	50	?	Parabolic trough	It will have 15 hours of storage.
Rayspower Yumen CSP	China	50	?	Parabolic trough

Future Solar Power Plants

These are solar thermal power stations that have been announced and are planned for the future.

Planned Solar Thermal Power Stations
Name	Country	Electrical capacity (MW)	How it works	Cool facts
Noor Midelt II	Morocco	230
Noor Midelt I	Morocco	200	Hybrid solar power with combination of 600 MW solar PV and 200 MW solar thermal with 5h heat storage	This plant will combine solar thermal with solar PV (solar panels).
Tamarugal Solar Project	Chile	450	Three solar power towers with 13h heat storage	This project plans to use three solar power towers.
Likana Solar Project	Chile	390	Three solar power towers with 13h heat storage
Copiapó Solar Project	Chile	260	Solar power tower PV integrated. With 14h heat storage	This will also combine solar thermal with solar panels.
Solnova 2, 4–5	Spain	100	Parabolic trough with heat storage
Gulang CSP	China	100	Parabolic trough
Golden Tower CSP	China	100	Power tower
Mashhad solar-thermal power station	Iran	72	Parabolic dish with tracer system
Chabei CSP	China	64	Parabolic trough
Al-Abdaliya	Kuwait	60	Parabolic trough
AZ 20	Spain	50	Solar power tower
Shangyi CSP	China	50	Power tower
Zhangjiakou CSP	China	50	Fresnel reflector

Images for kids

Part of the 354 MW SEGS solar complex in San Bernardino, California, United States.
The PS10 and PS20 solar power plant near Seville, in Andalusia, Spain.
Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant.jpg

The Gemasolar solar power plant in Fuentes de Andalucía, Spain.
The Ivanpah solar project in San Bernardino, California, United States.
The Andasol Solar Power Station, Spain, uses a molten salt thermal energy storage to generate electricity, even when the sun isn't shining.
Parts of the Solnova Solar Power Station in the foreground. The two towers of the PS10 and PS20 solar power stations can be seen in the background.