QAZAQ GREEN.  Construction has begun on a major clean energy project in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, set to become the world’s highest-altitude trough-style solar thermal power plant, CGTN reported.

The Wumatang project is located in Dangxiong County at an elevation of around 4,550 meters and is based on concentrated solar power (CSP) technology.

Unlike conventional photovoltaic panels, the facility uses curved mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto tubes filled with heat-transfer fluid. The captured heat is stored in molten salt, enabling the plant to continue generating electricity for up to six hours after sunset.

The project faces extreme construction conditions, including thin air and significant temperature fluctuations. To support workers, the site is equipped with heating systems, oxygen supply, and high-pressure oxygen chambers.

The plant is designed to coexist with local agricultural practices through a “solar-plus-grazing” model, allowing livestock to graze beneath elevated solar structures.

Once operational in 2027, the facility is expected to generate approximately 719 million kWh of electricity annually, reducing coal consumption by about 216,900 tonnes and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than 652,300 tonnes.

The project is being developed by China General Nuclear Power Corporation.