CHINA’S BIG SUN OPPORTUNITY

Has China missed a trick with CSP? CSP has the potential to clean up China’s heavily polluting coal industry and deliver a competitive, base load alternative to shore up its energy independence. So why are the country's planners apparently dismissive of the technology?
Paul French, 29 July 2011 (CSP Today)

"While the development of renewable energy technologies remains a major priority for Beijing…renewable energy's allure is its potential to reduce China’s dependence on imported oil, and to boost its domestic economy…[T]he country aims to build export earnings in the sector utilising China’s proven ability to manufacture to scale and cheaply and its - as yet largely unproven - ability to innovate…

"At present CSP remains a minority component of China’s overall energy mix – all renewable energy technology (hydro, nuclear, wind and others including CSP) account for, at best, 8% of output compared to 4% for natural gas, 18% for crude oil and a whopping 70% for coal."

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"While renewable energy should grow to account for 15% in 2020 and 22% by 2030…CSP will likely remain a minor player…[because] Chinese officials remain far more skeptical of the potential benefits of CSP than other renewable energy technologies…[like] wind turbines and solar photovoltaics…

"…CSP has remained a Cinderella technology in China…[because of] (i) costs and investment priorities and (ii) politics. Chinese bureaucrats…dislike the fact that the cheapest CSP tech available still requires substantial amounts of water (as is well known, China’s water shortages and contamination issues are legion) and current costs are extremely high…[but one] potential future for CSP [ - because it can be integrated with coal-powered steam turbines and heat is easy to store may well be to work with China’s major polluter, coal, to bring CSP to where it is needed in China’s industrial and manufacturing…"