Tens of thousands of heliostats on the Gobi Desert condense intense sunlight into dazzling spots, and China's solar thermal industry is rising as a new global force with a growth rate far exceeding that of the world. From the comprehensive breakthrough of tower trough technology to 95% of equipment being independently controllable, this complete industrial chain is steadily leading the way in terms of installed capacity and moving towards the pillar of the new power system.

On July 16, 2026, CCTV's "News Live Room" published a special report titled "China's solar thermal power generation scale will reach 15 million kilowatts by 2030". Yang Kun, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Electricity Council and President of the China Electricity Council Solar Thermal Branch, was invited to give an exclusive interview to the program, interpreting the current development status and achievements of the domestic solar thermal power generation industry.

Leading the global industry growth rate

Since the implementation of the 14th Five Year Plan, China's domestic solar thermal power generation industry has developed rapidly, with an annual compound growth rate of 11.7%, far exceeding the global average growth level of 4.24%. As of the end of June 2026, China has built and put into operation 24 solar thermal power generation projects, with a total installed capacity exceeding 2.1 million kilowatts, ranking second in the world in terms of installed capacity.

Adequate reserve of ongoing projects

Yang Kun stated in an interview that there are currently 26 solar thermal power projects under construction in China, with a total installed capacity of 3.2 million kilowatts, which is more than twice the scale of the existing operational installed capacity. At present, China has become the core force in the global installation of solar thermal power generation, leading the development of the global industry. Keywords: solar thermal power generation, industrial growth rate, installed capacity scale

Core technology leading independently

On the technical level, China has comprehensively overcome mainstream core technologies such as tower, trough, and Fresnel solar thermal power generation, and built a globally leading complete solar thermal power generation industry chain system. The localization rate of industry technology and equipment exceeds 95%, and all key materials and equipment are independently controllable. The fourth generation solar thermal power generation technology has also entered the international leading ranks.Editor/Gong Ziwei