The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide China with a grant of US$1 million to help it develop large-scale concentrated solar thermal (CST) power use, ADB said Friday.

According to Manila-headquartered ADB, the funds will be used to build a 1.5 megawatt (MW) CST pilot project and to carry out the prefeasibility assessment of a 50 MW CST power demonstration project in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The bank's technical assistance supports China's plan to install Asia's first MW-scale CST pilot project and accelerate large-scale solar power development in the country.

China has been making rapid progress in developing renewable energy sources to help reduce its heavy reliance on coal, with wind power generation posting significant growth. However, development in the solar power sector has been limited.

CST power, which provides electricity by generating heat to operate a steam turbine that drives a generator, has advantages over solar photovoltaic panels as the power produced is available continuously and at a more competitive price.

"Understanding new technologies through MW-scale pilot projects is crucial to building up knowledge and capacity that may lead to the development of large-scale plants," said Ashok Bhargava, principal energy specialist in ADB's East Asia Department.

The China Huadian Engineering Company Ltd. is the executing agency for the project, which will be implemented over 13 months, with an expected completion date of March 2011.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2010)