The tower solar thermal power station represents an innovative renewable energy power generation technology that harnesses solar energy to produce electricity.

It stands as a variation of solar thermal power generation, with its primary objective being the concentration of sunlight to generate high-temperature heat energy, subsequently transforming this thermal energy into electricity.

Currently, several tower solar thermal power plants are operational worldwide, exhibiting distinct variations in appearance due to differences in scale, design, and equipment.

However, experienced solar thermal power generation enthusiasts can swiftly identify a specific project based on its visual characteristics. This article offers an introduction to a selection of renowned tower solar thermal power stations.

Crescent Dunes CSP, situated near Tonopah, Nevada, approximately 225 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas, encompasses a vast 1,600-acre area. It is the world's largest tower molten salt power station with an installed capacity of 110MW.

The heat collecting tower soars to about 200 meters in height and boasts a 10-hour heat storage system. This project commanded a total investment of roughly US$1 billion.

Notably, Crescent Dunes CSP successfully validated the feasibility of large-scale (100 megawatts) tower molten salt technology, marking a significant milestone in the development of solar thermal power generation.

Chile's Atacama1 Tower Molten Salt CSP project is the first CSP endeavor in Latin America, spanning over 700 hectares.

It utilizes molten salt heat transfer and storage technology, capable of storing heat for up to 17.5 hours, enabling continuous 24-hour power generation. The power station is equipped with 10,600 heliostats, each with a size of 140 square meters.

Morocco's Noor Phase III CSP plant boasts a remarkable installed capacity of 150 MW and encompasses an area of 1 million square meters. The individual heliostats have a reflective area of 178 square meters, representing the largest single mirror in the current commercial tower power station category.

The power station not only claims a world record for the size of a solar tower CSP power station but also features the world's tallest CSP tower, standing at an overall height of 248 meters.

Ashalim1 CSP, located in the northern Negev Desert, features a single tower with an installed capacity of 121 MW. The project involved an investment of approximately US$750 million and adopted hydraulic fluid technology without an energy storage system.

It spans 3.15 square kilometers, comprises a reflective area of 1.05 million square meters, and incorporates over 50,000 heliostats.

The Gemasolar CSP station, situated in Seville, a small town in southern Spain, was constructed in February 2009 and commenced grid-connected power generation in April 2011.

With an installed capacity of 19.9MW, it features a heat storage duration of up to 15 hours and a designed power generation capacity of 110,000MWh per year.

This power station is capable of satisfying the daily electricity consumption of 27,500 residents while also reducing CO₂ emissions by 30,000 tons annually. It is among the world's first solar thermal power stations to achieve uninterrupted 24-hour power generation.

Additionally, it stands as the world's initial commercial tower-type molten salt solar thermal power station.

Tower solar power plants are a renewable energy technology with the capacity to sustain electricity generation even in the absence of direct sunlight, thanks to their utilization of stored thermal energy.

This technology serves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diminish reliance on fossil fuels, and provide a source of clean electricity. Tower-type solar thermal power stations exhibit significant potential, particularly in arid and sun-drenched regions.