The National Energy Administration (NEA) will back the development of 20 solar thermal demonstration projects in Qinghai, Gansu and Hebei provinces, as well as in the remote Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang regions, according to an online statement.

Participating companies — including state-run power groups such as China Three Gorges, Guodian, China General Nuclear Power and Huaneng — will be required to strictly follow a number of key technical guidelines, with all projects expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

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