China Opens Doors to Israeli Solar Technology

China yesterday reinforced its commitment to renewable energy by entering an agreement with an Israeli company specialized in combined heat and power (CHP).

ZenithSolar signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Energy Bureau of Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China for cooperation in the development of CHP solar stations in the Gansu province. The MOU was signed at a ceremony in the provincial capital Lanzhou.

Under the agreement, ZenithSolar will provide the technology for the installation of two 10 megawatt (MW) cogeneration plants based on ZenithSolar’s Z20 CHP system.

ZenithSolar says its core technology is based on a unique, proprietary optical design to extract maximum energy with minimal land usage. The system provides high electricity output combined with heat at temperatures well suited for domestic hot water use. In addition, the heat can be used for industrial process applications as well as other cogeneration applications. The system has an efficiency of 72%.

Scope
The Gansu province of China has a population of near 30 million and is located in northwestern China approximately 1,200 kilometers from Beijing. It lies at the edge of the Gobi desert and has the best solar energy conditions in China and among the best anywhere in the world.

The agreement is focused on two planned facilities to be built in the cities of Jiayuguan and Jinchang. Installation is set to start in 2011. One of the installations will be used to provide electricity and process heat for an industrial plant and the other for a large neighborhood.

Under the terms of the MOU, the Energy Bureau of Gansu will recommend the use of ZenithSolar’s CHP system for other locations in the Gansu Province after the successful operation of the two pilot plants.

There are also plans for a scientific research center that will provide training for government institutions, enterprises and individuals to focus on the development of new solar energy technology.

“ZenithSolar is honored to initiate the Gansu project in a province of China that is demonstrating leadership, vision and a long term commitment to renewable energy, said Roy Segev ZenithSolar’s CEO. We look forward to the collaboration in order to turn the Gansu project into a reality and thereby contribute to China’s ambitious renewable energy goals.”

The Gansu project represents the first large-scale solar collaboration between China and ZenithSolar in the field of CHP solar energy. Segev added the project will give the company the opportunity to demonstrate the technology on a global scale.

Right now, China certainly seems the place to be for renewable energy technology companies. In 2010 it became the leader in wind energy and this week it emerged that it plans to become the world’s largest market for hybrid and electric vehicles with a minimum of five million plug-in hybrid electric cars on the country’s roads. The country’s focus on clean technology means companies are increasingly looking to the Asian giant for growth and investment opportunities.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, appearing courtesy Justmeans.