Thermal Power Plants

A cooling assembly (20) for a thermal power plant (10) comprises an air cooling tower (22) and a solar refrigeration unit (24). The air cooling tower (22) is operable to decrease the temperature of a working fluid of the thermal power plant (10) to a first temperature by heat exchange with ambient air. The refrigeration unit (24) is operable to further decrease the temperature of the working fluid to a second temperature. The solar refrigeration unit (24) includes a solar collector to drive the solar refrigeration in an absorption refrigeration cycle during the day.