China's first 100-megawatt solar-thermal power plant successfully connected to the national grid on Thursday.

The plant in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province is powered by 12,000 mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a solar tower. The heat collected is used to create steam that turns a turbine and generator like a traditional thermal power plant.

The new power station can generate 390 million kilowatt-hours annually. It can generate power at nighttime using heat stored in the form of molten salt.

The plant covers an area of 7.8 square kilometers, which is equivalent to 1,120 standard football fields.

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