China’s Next Energy Bet Isn’t Solar or Batteries Alone: Why Concentrated Solar Power May Become the Grid’s New Backbone
By: Elena Rostova – SeaPRwire – A power system cannot run on cheap electricity alone. It must also survive the hours when the sun disappears and demand peaks. That challenge sits at the center of China’s latest energy policy push. While photovoltaic projects continue to expand rapidly, policymakers are increasingly focused on a technology that can generate electricity and store energy at the same time. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), once viewed as a niche sector, is now being positioned as a strategic component of China’s Fifteenth Five-Year Plan. The signal is clear. The discussion is no longer about whether CSP has a role. The debate has shifted toward how quickly it can scale. The policy framework behind this shift is becoming increasingly structured. By the end of 2025, China’s installed CSP capacity reached 1.82 million kilowatts, up 107% year over year, ranking third globally. More than 3 million kilowatts are currently under construction across 30 projects. According to the article, China now leads the world in tower-based CSP technology, while its parabolic trough systems have reached advanced international standards. A series of policy docume...
