List of solar thermal power stations

Encyclopedia

This is a list of the largest facilities generating electricity through the use of solar thermal power, specifically concentrated solar power.

Operational

Operational solar thermal power stations (of at least 50 MW capacity)
Name Country Location Coordinates Electrical capacity (MW) Technology type Storage hours Notes and references
Noor / Ouarzazate Solar Power Station  Morocco Ghassate (Ouarzazate province) 30°59′40″N 6°51′48″W 510 Parabolic trough and solar power tower (Phase 3) 3 / 7 / 7.5 160 MW Phase 1 with 3 hours heat storage. 200 MW phase 2 with 7 hours heat storage is online from January 2018. 150 MW (Phase 3) with 7.5 hours storage is online from November 2018
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility  US San Bernardino County, California 35°34′N 115°28′W 392 Solar power tower Completed on February 13, 2014
Mojave Solar Project  US Barstow, California 35°00′40″N 117°19′30″W 280 Parabolic trough Completed December 2014. Gross capacity of 280 MW corresponds to net capacity of 250 MW
Solana Generating Station  US Gila Bend, Arizona 32°55′N 112°58′W 280 Parabolic trough 6 Completed in October 2013, with 6 hours thermal energy storage
Genesis Solar Energy Project  US Blythe, California 33°38′37.68″N 114°59′16.8″W 280 Parabolic trough Online April 24, 2014
Solaben Solar Power Station[18]  Spain Logrosán 39°13′29″N 5°23′26″W 200 Parabolic trough Solaben 3 completed June 2012
Solaben 2 completed October 2012
Solaben 1 and 6 completed September 2013
Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS)  US Mojave Desert, California 35°01′54″N 117°20′53″W 160 Parabolic trough Originally collection of 9 units 1984-1990 with 354 MW. Seven units were decommissioned and replaced by solar PV.
Solnova Solar Power Station  Spain Sanlúcar la Mayor 37°25′00″N 06°17′20″W 150 Parabolic trough Solnova 1 completed May 2010
Solnova 3 completed May 2010
Solnova 4 completed August 2010
Andasol solar power station  Spain Guadix 37°13′42.70″N 3°4′6.73″W 150 Parabolic trough 7.5 Completed: Andasol 1 (2008), Andasol 2 (2009), Andasol 3 (2011). Each equipped with a 7.5 hour thermal energy storage.
Extresol Solar Power Station  Spain Torre de Miguel Sesmero 38°39′N 6°44′W 150 Parabolic trough 7.5 Completed: Extresol 1 and 2 (2010), Extresol 3 (2012). Each equipped with a 7.5-hour thermal energy storage.
Dhursar  India Dhursar, Jaisalmer district 26°47′09″N 72°00′30″E 125 Fresnel reflector Completed November 2014, referred as 125 MW is some sources
Ashalim Power Station (Negev Energy)  Israel Ashalim 30°57′N 34°42′E 121 Parabolic trough 4.5 4.5h heat storage. Completed August 2019 and located in Negev desert
Megalim Power Station (Negev Energy)  Israel Ashalim 30°56′N 34°43′E 121 Solar power tower Completed April 2019 and located in Negev desert
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project  US Nye County, Nevada 38°14′N 117°22′W 110 Solar power tower 10 with 10h heat storage; commercial operation began September 2015, mothballed since May 2019
Cerro Dominador Solar Thermal Plant (Atacama 1)  Chile María Elena, Antofagasta 22.77191°S 69.47994°W 110 Solar power tower 17.5 Completed April 2021, with 17.5h heat storage
Shouhang Dunhuang  China Dunhuang (Gansu Province) 40°5′33.11″N 94°39′55.56″E 110 Solar power tower 15 / 7.5 Phase I compleded in 2016, Phase II with 7.5h heat storage. Operational since end of December 2018
Kathu Solar Park  South Africa Northern Cape 27°31′59.67″S 23°8′10.56″E 100 Parabolic trough 4.5 completed February 2018, With 4.5h heat storage 
KaXu Solar One  South Africa Pofadder, Northern Cape 28°53′40.56″S 19°35′53.52″E 100 Parabolic trough 2.5 with 2.5h heat storage
Xina Solar One  South Africa Pofadder, Northern Cape 28°53′40.56″S 19°35′53.52″E 100 Parabolic trough 5.5 Commissioned in September 2017 with 5.5h heat storage
Manchasol Power Station  Spain Alcázar de San Juan 39°11′N 3°18′W 100 Parabolic trough 7.5 Manchasol 1 and 2 completed in 2011, each with 7.5h heat storage
Valle Solar Power Station  Spain San José del Valle 36°39′N 5°50′W 100 Parabolic trough 7.5 Completed December 2011, with 7.5h heat storage
Helioenergy Solar Power Station  Spain Écija 37°34′43″N 5°9′24″W 100 Parabolic trough Helioenergy 1 completed September 2011
Helioenergy 2 completed January 2012
Aste Solar Power Station  Spain Alcázar de San Juan 39°10′22″N 3°15′58″W 100 Parabolic trough 8 Aste 1A Completed January 2012, with 8h heat storage
Aste 1B Completed January 2012, with 8h heat storage
Solacor Solar Power Station  Spain El Carpio 37°54′54″N 4°30′9″W 100 Parabolic trough Solacor 1 completed February 2012
Solacor 2 completed March 2012
Helios Solar Power Station  Spain Puerto Lápice 39°14′24″N 3°28′12″W 100 Parabolic trough Helios 1 completed May 2012
Helios 2 completed August 2012
Shams solar power station  UAE Abu Dhabi Madinat Zayed 23°34′N 53°42′E 100 Parabolic trough Shams 1 completed March 2013
Termosol Solar Power Station  Spain Navalvillar de Pela 100 Parabolic trough Both Termosol 1 and 2 completed in 2013
Palma del Río I & II  Spain Palma del Río 37°38′42.56″N 5°15′29.32″W 100 Parabolic trough Palma del Rio 2 completed December 2010
Palma del Rio 1 completed July 2011
Ilanga 1  South Africa Northern Cape (Upington) 28°29′25.79″S 21°32′27.13″E 100 Parabolic trough 5 With 5h heat storage. Operational since 2018
CSNP Royal Tech Urat CSP  China Urat Middle Banner, Inner Mongolia 100 Parabolic trough 10 Completed in January 2020 with 10 hours of thermal storage
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center  US Indiantown, Florida 27°03′11″N 80°33′00″W 75 ISCC with parabolic trough Completed December 2010
Nevada Solar One  US Boulder City, Nevada 35°48.0′N 114°58.6′W 75 Parabolic trough Operational since 2007
Dacheng Dunhuang CSP  China Dunhuang, Gansu Province 60 Fresnel reflector 16 / 15 10 MW Phase 1 completed in 2016,50 MW Phase 2 in December 2019 with 15 hours of thermal storage
Supcon Solar Delingha  China Delingha 37°22′13″N 97°16′56″E 60 Solar power tower 2 / 7 10 MW Phase 1 completed in 2013, Phase 2 completed in December 2018 with 7 hours of thermal energy storage
Guzmán  Spain Palma del Río 37°38′N 5°15′W 50 Parabolic trough Completed July 2012
Khi Solar One  South Africa Upington 28°33′0.36″S 21°5′5.28″E 50 Solar power tower 2 Completed Feb 2016
With 2h heat storage
Bokpoort  South Africa Groblershoop 28°43′26.96″S 21°59′34.88″E 50 Parabolic trough 9 with 9h heat storage
Puertollano Solar Thermal Power Plant  Spain Puertollano, Ciudad Real 38°39′N 3°58′W 50 Parabolic trough Completed May 2009
Alvarado I  Spain Badajoz 38°49′37″N 06°49′34″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed July 2009
La Florida  Spain Alvarado (Badajoz) 50 Parabolic trough Completed July 2010
Arenales PS  Spain Morón de la Frontera (Seville) 50 Parabolic trough[19][84][85] 2013
Casablanca  Spain Talarrubias 50 Parabolic trough[19] 2013
Majadas de Tiétar  Spain Caceres 39°58′10″N 5°44′32″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed August 2010
La Dehesa  Spain La Garrovilla (Badajoz) 38°57′35″N 6°27′50″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed November 2010
Lebrija-1  Spain Lebrija 50 Parabolic trough Completed July 2011
Astexol 2  Spain Badajoz 38°48′42″N 7°3′36″W 50 Parabolic trough 7.5 Completed November 2011, with 7.5h thermal energy storage
Morón  Spain Morón de la Frontera 37°7′11.24″N 5°33′50.45″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed May 2012
La Africana  Spain Posada 50 Parabolic trough 7.5 Completed July 2012, with 7.5h thermal energy storage
Olivenza 1  Spain Olivenza 38°45′18.73″N 7°8′40.42″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed July 2012
Orellana  Spain Orellana la Vieja 39°1′17.6″N 5°31′57.4″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed August 2012
Godawari Green Energy Limited  India Nokh Village, Rajasthan 27°36′01″N 72°13′25″E 50 Parabolic trough 2013
Enerstar Villena Power Plant  Spain Villena 38°43′41.51″N 0°55′18.23″W 50 Parabolic trough Completed 2013
Megha Solar Plant  India Anantapur 14°56′47″N 77°41′15″E 50 Parabolic trough Completed 2014
Delingha Solar Plant  China Delingha 37°22′13″N 97°16′56″E 50 Parabolic trough 9 Completed July 2018 with 9 hours of thermal energy storage
Shagaya CSP  Kuwait Shagaya 29°13′41″N 47°03′45″E 50 Parabolic trough 10 Commercial operation started in February 2019, 10 hours thermal storage
Waad Al Shamal ISCC Plant  Saudi Arabia Waad Al Shamal 31°39′37″N 38°51′29″E 50 ISCC with parabolic trough Commercial operation started in 2018, 1,390 MW plant with 50 MW solar
Qinghai Gonghe CSP  China Gonghe, Qinghai Province 36°06′08″N 100°37′30″E 50 Solar power tower 6 Completed in September 2019, with 6 h heat storage.
Luneng Haixi CSP  China Haixi Zhou, Qinghai Sheng 50 Solar power tower 12 Completed in September 2019 with 12 hours of thermal energy storage
Hami CSP  China Hami, Xinjiang Autonomous Region 50 Solar power tower 13 Completed in September 2019 with 13 hours of thermal energy storage
Yumen Xinneng CSP  China Yumen, Gansu Province 50 2020 Beam down tower 9h storage
Solar thermal power stations

  • 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.

  • 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.

Under construction

Solar thermal power stations under construction (of at least 50 MW capacity)
Name Country Location Co-
ordinates		 Electrical capacity (MW) Expected
completion		 Technology Notes
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Phase IV  United Arab Emirates Dubai 24.7547°N 55.365°E 700 2021 Parabolic trough,
solar tower		 600 MW parabolic trough and 100 solar tower, with 15h heat storage
Golmud CSP  China Golmud, Qinghai province 200 Power tower
Shouhang Yumen CSP  China Yumen, Gansu Province 100 Solar power tower
Erdos Solar Power Plant  China Hanggin Banner 50 Parabolic trough
Gansu Akesai CSP  China Akesai, Gansu Province 50 ? Parabolic trough 15h storage
Rayspower Yumen CSP  China Yumen, Gansu Province 50 ? Parabolic trough

Announced

Solar thermal power stations announced
Name Country Location Coordinates Electrical capacity (MW) Technology Notes
Noor Midelt II  Morocco Morocco 32°40′51″N 04°43′59″W 230
Noor Midelt I  Morocco Morocco 32°40′51″N 04°43′59″W 200 Hybrid solar power with combination of 600 MW solar PV and 200 MW solar thermal with 5h heat storage
Tamarugal Solar Project  Chile Atacama Desert, Chile 450 Three solar power towers with 13h heat storage
Likana Solar Project  Chile Antofagasta 390 Three solar power towers with 13h heat storage
Copiapó Solar Project  Chile Atacama Desert, Chile 260 Solar power tower PV integrated. With 14h heat storage
Redstone Solar Thermal Power  South Africa Northern Cape 28°17′53″S 23°21′56″E 100 Solar power tower with 12h heat storage
Solnova 2, 4–5  Spain Sevilla 37°25′00″N 06°17′20″W 100 Parabolic trough with heat storage
Gulang CSP  China Wuwei, Gansu Province 100 Parabolic trough
Golden Tower CSP  China Jinta, Gansu Province 100 Power tower
Mashhad solar-thermal power station  Iran Mashhad, Iran 72 Parabolic dish with tracer system
Chabei CSP  China Chabei, Hebei Province 64 Parabolic trough
Al-Abdaliya  Kuwait ?? 60 Parabolic trough
AZ 20  Spain Sevilla 50 Solar power tower
Shangyi CSP  China Shangyi, Hebei Province 50 Power tower
Zhangjiakou CSP  China Zhangbei, Hebei Province 50 Fresnel reflector

Cancelled[edit]

Solar thermal power stations cancelled
Name Country Location Coordinates Electrical capacity (MW) Technology Notes
Sandstone Solar Energy Project  US Nye County, Nevada 37°54′00″N 116°42′00″W 1,600 solar power tower 8 units with 10h heat storage
Blythe Solar Power Project  US Blythe, California 1,000 Parabolic trough 4 units, converted to 485 MW PV
Stirling Energy Systems Solar One Project  US San Bernardino County, California 850 Dish Stirling converted to 618 MW PV, license terminated 27 August 2013
Stirling Energy Systems Solar Two Project  US Imperial County, California 750 Dish Stirling converted to 594 MW PV
Palen Solar Power Project  US Riverside County, California 500 Parabolic trough 2 units, certification expired 15 December 2015
Ridgecrest Solar Power Project  US Kern County, California 250 Parabolic trough 2 units, license terminated 22 April 2014
Luz SEGS XI-XII Project  US San Bernardino County, California 160 Parabolic trough license expired 22 September 1989
Aurora Solar Thermal Power Project  Australia Port Augusta, South Australia 32.2°S 137.6°E 150 solar power tower
El Reboso 2+3  Spain La Puebla del Rio (Seville) 100 Parabolic trough
SCE Solar 100  US Johnson Valley, California 100 Solar power tower license expired 1983
Diwakar  India Askandra 100 Parabolic trough 2014, Parabolic trough with 3h heat storage
KVK Energy Solar Project  India Askandra 100 Parabolic trough 2014, Parabolic trough with 4h heat storage

Decommissioned

  • Eurelios pilot plant, a 1 MW, power tower design in Adrano, Sicily, operational 1981–1987
  • Solar One pilot plant, operational 1982–1986; converted into Solar Two, operational 1995–1999; site demolished 2009 – USA California, 10 MW, power tower design
  • SES-5 – USSR, 5 MW, power tower design, water / Steam, service period 1985–1989
  • Maricopa Solar – USA Peoria, Arizona, 1.5 MW dish stirling SES / Tessera Solar’s first commercial-scale Dish Stirling power plant. Completed January 2010, decommissioned September 2011 and sold to CondiSys Solar Technology of China in April 2012.

Largest plants by technology

Largest operational Solar Thermal Power Stations by technology
Technology type Name Country Location Coordinates Capacity MW Notes and references
Solar power tower without thermal storage Ivanpah Solar Power Facility  US San Bernardino County, California 35°34′N 115°28′W 392 Completed on February 13, 2014[7][8][9] The station uses natural gas as supplementary fuel.
with thermal storage Ouarzazate Solar Power Station  Morocco Ghassate (Ouarzazate province) 30°59′40″N 6°51′48″W 150
Parabolic trough without thermal storage Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS)  US Mojave Desert, California 35°01′54″N 117°20′53″W 310 Collection of 9 units[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] The station has gas firing facility to run the units during night time.
with thermal storage Ouarzazate Solar Power Station  Morocco Ghassate (Ouarzazate province) 30°59′40″N 6°51′48″W 360
ISCC with parabolic trough Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center  US Indiantown, Florida 27°03′11″N 80°33′00″W 75 Completed December 2010[73] Basically combined cycle power plant running on natural gas. Solar energy is supplemented to reduce the natural gas consumption for the same station output.
Fresnel reflector without thermal storage Dhursar  India Dhursar, Jaisalmer district 26°47′N 72°00′E 100 Completed November 2014, referred as 125 MW is some sources[39][40][41][42]
Dish Stirling No utility scale installastions currently operational, 1.5MW Maricopa Solar was largest