BEIJING - The first megawatt-level tower-type solar-thermal power station in Asia has been built in northwest Beijing, chief of the program said on Monday.

Wang Zhifeng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the station is operating in stable condition, using a 1.5-megawatt steam turbo-generator to generate electricity.

"The solar-thermal power station will transform solar energy into heat energy to generate electricity," said Wang, adding that the six-year program has helped to promote Chinese solar-thermal power generation technology.

Ma Guangcheng, manager of the power station, said the station will reduce annual emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide by 2,336 tonnes and 17.5 tonnes, respectively compared with traditional thermal power stations.

According to Ma, the power station is capable of generating 1.95 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.