Kathmandu, June12,

China is planning to launch a solar power plant in space for getting inexhaustible power in 2028, two years ahead of the original schedule, a Chinese daily reported.

The researchers said the satellite will convert solar energy into microwaves or lasers and then beam it to various targets on the surface from 250 miles above the Earth. 

The power generated will reach 10 kilowatts, which is only enough to meet the needs of a few households. But the technology could be scaled up and become a key contributor to decarbonisation, according to co-author Dong Shiwei of the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology. 

Although there are huge engineering challenges, space-based solar has a few advantages over earth-based solar panels, which are contributing an increasing amount to global energy needs. First: space-based solar would be able to generate electricity continuously, regardless of time of day or weather.