China sets date for space solar power plant

CHINA is to launch the world’s first solar power plant in space two years ahead of schedule in 2028.

Beijing will send a trial satellite 250 miles into orbit as part of its attempt to deliver energy back to Earth uninterrupted by cloud cover or night-time.

The satellite will test technology to convert the Sun’s rays into microwaves or lasers, then beam them to locations.

Two years later, Beijing will send a larger plant 22,000 miles into space.

The first launch will deliver just 10 kilowatts of energy, or enough to power a handful of houses, according to the plans detailed in the journal Chinese Space Science and Technology.

The second, in 2030, would provide 10 megawatts, which could power around 8,000 homes. By 2050, Beijing plans to have expanded the station to generate two gigawatts of energy, equal to the power for 1.5 million homes.

Solar panels in space will allow for sunlight to be received at far greater intensity than the equivalent panels on Earth. The technology, if it proves successful, could become a key tool in helping nations minimise carbon emis- sions and reach climate change targets.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, has pledged for the country – the world’s largest polluter – to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Britain said in March it was considering plans to put a solar power plant in space by 2035 with the help of European firms including Airbus.

In 2020, a government-commissioned study concluded such a project would be “technically feasible, affordable” and could bring economic benefits while supporting “net-zero pathways”.