China plans to build solar power station in space

China is planning to build space-based solar power station to meet the nation's electricity needs.

It is reported that the Chinese government has built a test facility in Chongqing city to test the technology that allows it to capture energy from the sun and transmit it back to Earth.

According to the plan, by 2030, the country will build a 1-megawatt solar power station in space, 36,000 km above the ground, and by 2049, the total electrical capacity of this plant will probably increase to 1 gigawatt, equivalent to the largest nuclear power reactor today.

China plans to build a solar power station in space
China plans to build solar power station in space / ph: illustration/pexels

The average solar power plant on Earth is not very efficient because it can only operate during the day and the solar energy has been absorbed by the atmosphere almost half.

However, the solar plant in space is not affected by atmospheric factors or day and night, receiving sunlight continuously.

The solar energy is then converted into electricity and sent back to the earth in the form of microwaves or lasers.

Researchers in Bishan District (Chongqing City, China) have tested the technology of transmitting microwave energy to the ground. They raised a balloon with solar panels to a height of 300m to capture light and convert it into energy transmitted to the ground.

In the near future, they plan to increase the operating range to more than 20km with a balloon that collects solar energy from the stratosphere.

Three years ago, the construction project of this US$15.4 million underground test facility was started in Bich Son district, but then had to be halted due to disputes over cost, feasibility and project risks. One of the main risks is the possibility of fire because the microwave beams emitted by this plant are as strong as the rays of the sun on summer days.

Another risk is radiation. According to a calculation by a research team from Beijing Jiaotong University last year, people cannot live within 5 km of the ground receiving station of a 1-gigawatt solar power station in space.

Even a train more than 10km away can experience problems such as sudden loss of communication because the frequency of the energetic microwave beam will affect the Wi-Fi.

However, after the government announced its goal of becoming a net zero carbon country by 2060, the project received strong support from the energy industry.

It is hoped that the plant can provide infinite clean energy for people. The project resumed in June, and construction on the facility will be completed by the end of the year.

Despite the controversies, space solar technology plays an important role in China's space development plan as it will stimulate the development of a range of advanced technologies, including heavy propulsion rocket, supersonic spaceplanes for low-cost transport, massive infrastructure in orbit, and directed energy weapons.