Operating at an altitude of 4,300 meters, a 50-megawatt solar-thermal facility featuring 14-hour molten-salt heat storage successfully connected its first generator to the power grid, according to aitimes.com.
The facility forms part of the Ali Plateau Zero-Carbon Optical Storage, Thermal Storage, and Power Generation Pilot Project in Gêrzê County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. China General Nuclear Power Group announced that the 25-megawatt first generator achieved grid connection on November 6, marking the highest-altitude solar-thermal power station ever linked to a grid.
The total project investment reaches 2.4 billion yuan, encompassing a total generation capacity of 150 megawatts. Within this capacity, a 100-megawatt photovoltaic plant has already achieved full grid connection, while the 50-megawatt solar-thermal component relies on two 25-megawatt steam turbine generators. Construction on the solar-thermal portion began in July 2024, with the second generator slated for grid integration before the end of the year.
Unlike standard concentrated solar power plants that utilize mirrors to focus sunlight directly into thermal energy, this installation converts electricity produced by standalone photovoltaic arrays into heat.
Power generated separately from the grid feeds into a molten-salt electric heating device possessing a rated capacity of 205 megawatts. This process heats molten salt to high temperatures for energy storage, enabling steam generation and turbine operation during nighttime hours or periods of peak electricity demand.
The molten-salt thermal storage infrastructure is engineered to retain heat for a 14-hour duration. The installation also incorporates an asynchronous grid-integration device utilizing lithium-ion batteries. This dual-system setup allows the station to stabilize standard grid distributions or rapidly transition into an independent power source during specialized operational scenarios.
Stored thermal energy will simultaneously supply winter district heating to approximately 1.5 million square meters of buildings. China Energy Engineering Group, which handled construction, integrated these district-heating facilities directly into the project layout. Full completion of the overarching initiative will yield an estimated 270 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, displacing roughly 168,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
| Project Component | Capacity / Metric | Operational Status |
|---|---|---|
| Photovoltaic Plant | 100 Megawatts | Fully Connected |
| Solar-Thermal Plant | 50 Megawatts (Two 25MW Turbines) | 1st Generator Connected Nov 6 |
| Molten-Salt Electric Heater | 205 Megawatts | Active |
| Thermal Storage Duration | 14 Hours | Active |
| Project Investment | 2.4 Billion Yuan | Underway |
National Energy Administration data indicates that China’s cumulative installed solar-thermal capacity reached 2.32 gigawatts at the end of September, registering a 43 percent increase compared to the previous year. State targets aim to scale total solar-thermal capacity to approximately 15 gigawatts by 2030.
“This power station is the first in the world to apply a technological approach combining photovoltaics, molten-salt electric heaters, and asynchronous grid-connected energy storage,” said Ding Hongliang, engineering director for the Ngari project at CGN New Energy, pointing to the deployment of a domestically developed distributed control system alongside the 205,000-kilowatt electric heating installation.
