- The Asian giant is planning to build a solar plant in space to supply the Earth with space solar energy with the goal of generating 10 MW of energy by 2035.
- China finds traces of water on the Moon from two different sources
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| China plans to build a solar plant in space to transmit power to Earth. / Pixabay |
In the search for renewable energies, one of the most booming is solar energy. Currently, large projects that use solar panels to function are already underway, although there is still a long way to go to get the maximum benefit.
The big problem with this type of energy is that solar panels are seriously affected by radiation from the atmosphere as well as by the different night phases, which makes it a source that is not constant.
One of the solutions that have been proposed for some time is the collection of energy from the Sun in space to send it to Earth. The first to explore this possibility were the Americans in the 1970s in a project promoted by NASA.
The other great power, China, began working with solar technology in 2012 and three years later, the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) launched the development of the project.
The goal is for a station with the capacity to generate 200 tons of megawatts of this space solar energy to be launched in 2035, that is, a total of 10 MW of energy.
It now appears that plans could be moved up to two years earlier than initially planned, the South China Morning Post has reported. In addition, it seems that the Asian giant wants to carry out the idea at all costs.
As reported by Eurasia Time, China has already started the construction of the station and has already carried out some tests from energy transmission hot air balloons and it seems that the first satellite is expected to be launched this year.
For the transmission of energy to Earth, two possible methods are being studied. One would be with microwaves and the other laser, but the truth is that both have their drawbacks and advantages.
If they opt for microwaves, the efficiency of this system could be maximized, although it is possible that it could negatively affect people's health. Another problem is that to use this method, an antenna of several meters and a receiver on Earth of about ten kilometers would be necessary.
If the plan goes ahead, China's forecasts are that in the year 2035 10MW of energy will be generated and that by the year 2050, that figure will reach 2 GW of space solar energy.
Although it may sound very ambitious, the truth is that according to Dong Shiwei, of the National Laboratory of Science and Technology of the Chinese Academy, an infrastructure "so large in space could make many countries uncomfortable."
Above all, he pointed out that it could especially bother those who do not have "the technology or the capacity to carry it out." Apart from China, there are more interested in carrying out this project such as the United Kingdom which wants to have its own solar power plant in space in 2040.
The UK plan aims to provide "30 percent of the country's electricity demand" but for now, we will have to wait to see if any of these proposals finally come true.