China is to accelerate solar thermal power development, planning to install 15 GW of solar thermal capacity by 2030, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing an official roadmap released on December 23.

Costs for solar thermal power are expected to be broadly comparable to coal-fired power, according to the guideline jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA).

The country aims to make the sector an internationally competitive new energy industry, with cutting-edge technologies that are fully domestically controllable, alongside market-oriented and industrialized growth, showed the document.

Thanks to years of development, China has successfully halved the construction costs of solar thermal power from 30,000 yuan/KW ($4,257/KW) a decade ago to around 15,000 yuan/KW, the document said.

Despite the cost reduction, the sector still faces challenges, including high upfront investment and weak market competition, an NEA official noted.

To tackle the obstacles, China plans to further lower costs by building integrated projects combining solar thermal, wind, and solar photovoltaic power under coordinated operation.

It also plans to accelerate research and development (R&D) in key technologies, materials, and equipment for establishing joint R&D platforms between solar thermal firms and research institutions to make technology and equipment domestically produced.

Meanwhile, the country encourages fair market participation in the sector, urging regional governments to adopt region-specific mechanisms that balance competition and operational stability.