China”s 350-megawatt concentrated solar power demonstration project is set to deliver a replicable, large-scale model for the nation’s CSP commercialization, backed by world-leading thermal storage, proprietary technology and full industrial chain independence, said industry experts and company executives.
China General Nuclear Power Corp came up with the world’s largest single-unit CSP facility by thermal storage capacity and mirror field aperture last week in Northwest China’s Qinghai province.
The project, integrating molten salt tower and parabolic trough systems, also marks the large-scale deployment of the company’s self-developed 8.6-meter molten salt parabolic trough collector, it said.
Ding Yeliang, deputy general manager of CGN New Energy Holdings Co Ltd, said core components including collector brackets, flexible connection modules, local controllers and precision detection devices are jointly developed by CGN and top domestic enterprises, achieving 100 percent independent control of core technologies across the industrial chain.
CSP technology uses mirrors to concentrate solar energy to heat a fluid that drives a turbine. It has the unique advantage of built-in thermal energy storage, allowing it to generate dispatchable power, providing grid stability by supplying electricity even when the sun is not shining, a feature essential for national energy security.
The project’s 15-hour molten salt thermal storage system, with a capacity of 11,747 megawatt-hours, enables stable round-the-clock generation and strong peak-shaving capabilities to boost new energy integration and power supply reliability in Qinghai.
Once fully operational, it is expected to produce 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, saving 320,000 metric tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 860,000 tons each year.
China aims to bring its total concentrated solar power installed capacity to approximately 15 million kilowatts by 2030, according to a guideline released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration.
Yang Kun, executive vice-chairman of the China Electricity Council, said earlier that technological advancements and economies of scale have steadily driven down construction expenses, while over 95 percent of China’s CSP equipment is now manufactured domestically.
This was echoed by Ding from CGN, who said that building on its technological edge, China’s concentrated solar power sector is well-positioned to capitalize on this moment and lead the next phase of clean energy advancement.
Future projections point to strong international growth for the industry, with global CSP capacity expected to reach 22.4 million kW by 2030.
Leading enterprises like CGN have been playing a central role in achieving technological self-reliance, accelerating key integrated solar thermal and storage projects, demonstrating the industry’s rapid pace of development, according to the council.
According to CGN, the plant’s mirror field covers a staggering total aperture area of 3.7 million square meters, comprising three 1.1-million-square-meter tower fields and one 400,000-square-meter trough field.
The entire trough field utilizes the cutting-edge 8.6-meter large-aperture collectors.
As a pioneer in China’s CSP sector since 2011, CGN has consistently driven industry development through technological innovation. It operates the National Energy Solar Thermal Power Technology R&D Center, the only national-level research platform in this field.
To date, CGN has completed 19 scientific and technological capability appraisals, secured 68 patents, and participated in drafting 30 national and industry standards in the solar thermal sector.
zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn
