In Dubai, the Trough Unit No. 1 of Shanghai Electric’s solar thermal and photovoltaic power plant is generating electricity.
A new step
In Dubai, the world’s largest solar thermal power plant has entered a new stage of operation. It is connected to the network. The Shanghai Electric plant has a capacity of 700MW.
The installation consists of three 200MW trough units and one 100MW tower unit. The total project uses about 560,000 tons of molten salt and 70,000 heliostats. The total area of the park is equivalent to 6,000 standard soccer fields or 100 Tiananmen squares.
The tower of the power plant is 262 meters high, the highest in the world. In addition, it offers the world’s largest commercial slot opening technology, with an opening distance of 8.2 meters. The operation of the facility replaces the burning of 2 million tons of standard coal per year.
Continuous energy
The activation of the Through No. 1 unit in Dubai represents the fourth phase of the solar thermal and photovoltaic plant project. Indeed, the 250MW photovoltaic modules maximize the use of the site. This phase adds significant value to the park.
It overcomes the limitation that conventional photovoltaic plants cannot produce electricity at night. The photovoltaic panels are added to the primary tower. The Shanghai Electric plant will be able to generate power continuously.
This represents a maximum of 13.5 hours at night and 15 hours during periods of bad weather. In addition, will bring Dubai significantly closer to its 2050 clean energy target. The project will provide clean energy to 320,000 families and avoid 1.6 million tons of carbon emissions per year.
