Dunhuang City in northwest China’s Gansu Province is advancing the country’s clean energy transition with a pioneering solar thermal power plant that combines large-scale generation with homegrown technological innovation.

Completed in 2018, the 100-megawatt facility was China’s first molten-salt tower solar thermal plant. Its 12,000 mirrors track the sun and concentrate sunlight onto a 260-metre tower, generating power while using molten salt to store heat.

Operating in a region with changing weather conditions, the plant undergoes around 150 start-stop cycles each year, placing considerable demands on its equipment. After years of research, domestic components are gradually replacing imported ones, helping Chinese manufacturers improve their technologies and supporting the development of similar projects.

Beyond the plant, Gansu is harnessing its abundant wind and solar resources alongside thermal power and energy storage. Dunhuang achieved a full year of citywide green electricity supply in 2025, while the province is transmitting renewable power to Hunan and Shandong, with Zhejiang set to follow.