What is concentrated solar power plant?

Concentrated solar power plants (CSPs) generate electricity by using the sun’s energy to convert water into steam to run turbines connected to generators. Such a power plant consists of large sun-tracking mirrors (heliostats) to focus sunlight on a receiver at the top of a tower. The receiver uses solar power to heat up a heat-transfer fluid to generate steam which, in turn, is used in a convection turbine generator to produce electricity. Such plants are similar to those of coal or gas-based plants. Nowadays, molten ammonium nitrate salt is used as a heat-transfer fluid, which can store heat inside it. Hence, these plants can even work at night or on a cloudy day.