Gokin Solar helps “plant a sun” with parabolic trough CSP in Tibet

In Tibet’s Wumatang Town, intense sunlight pours down. At an altitude of 4,550 meters, the oxygen level is just 60%. UV intensity is over three times higher than low-altitude areas. Temperatures fluctuate by 40°C, and gale-force winds and blizzards are frequent. Wumatang is home to a 400 MW PV and 50 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) project, which is the world’s highest-altitude parabolic trough CSP plant.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a fragile ecosystem. Building there means determining how to deliver clean energy and still protect the land beneath the project. The project’s results illustrate Gokin’s commitment to protect the land via clean energy – 719 million kWh produced annually while simultaneously reducing CO2 by 652,300 tons.

Gokin managed the logistics to ensure every PV module arrived on schedule over the 4,000 km journey from Guangzhou’s Huadu to Tibet’s Dangxiong. On one weather extreme, the UV index there can reach 15, while on the other, snowfall can exceed 50 cm. At Wumatang’s altitude, materials age faster, mechanical structures expand and contract frequently, and electrical insulation faces thin-air challenges.

Gokin’s N-type TOPCon bifacial dual-glass solar modules are certified by TÜV Rheinland under IEC TS 63209-1:2021 and have passed uneven snow-load testing, with the front at 5,400 Pa and the rear at 2,400 Pa. With a bifaciality factor of 80% ± 5%, the front maximizes efficiency while the rear harvests reflected light. 

In alpine regions, grassland is vital to herders and the wider ecosystem. Acting as a natural sunshade to reduce evaporation, conserve soil, and nourish pastures, the PV panels help protect the grassland as cattle and sheep graze among the arrays. The project and the local community have developed positive synergies and achieved mutual progress.

Power above, ecology below, shared benefits beyond

Gokin believes that a power station should become part of the local ecosystem and economy, not an isolated industrial island. In Wumatang, the company has planted possibilities: clean energy in harsh environments, industry coexisting with fragile ecosystems, and technology improving human well-being.

When sunlight becomes electricity, grass sprouts beneath panels, and the project brings vitality – “planting the sun” is not just a metaphor to Gokin. For the manufacturer, Wumatang is only the beginning. It provides real-world proof that humans can harness energy while respecting nature.