PowerChina has completed grid connection and started electricity generation at a 1GW hybrid solar project in Gonghe county, Qinghai province, northwestern China.

Located at the Talatan solar park, the development combines a 900MW solar PV plant with a 100MW concentrated solar power (CSP) tower facility equipped with eight hours of thermal energy storage.

It is described as China’s first gigawatt-scale clean energy project to integrate solar PV generation, solar thermal generation and thermal energy storage, and the country’s first three-tower solar thermal base.

The CSP facility uses more than 10,000 heliostats (curved, motorised mirrors) with a combined reflective area of around 500,000m² to concentrate sunlight on to central receivers. The concentrated sunlight heats molten salt, which is then used to generate steam and drive electricity production.

The facility also incorporates electric heating equipment that converts surplus electricity from the adjacent PV plant into heat for storage in the molten salt system. This thermal energy can later be used to generate electricity when solar PV output falls, including after sunset.  

Once fully operational, the project is expected to generate more than 2.2TWh/y of electricity. Project partners estimate it will displace approximately 690,000t/y of standard coal consumption and avoid around 2.07mn t/y of CO₂ emissions.

Most of the electricity will be transmitted to Henan province via the Qinghai–Henan 800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission line.

China connects 100MW compressed CO₂ energy storage project

Elsewhere, China Huadian has connected its 100MW/1,000MWh compressed CO₂ energy storage project to the grid in Mori Kazakh Autonomous County, Xinjiang, northwestern China.

Located in the Gobi Desert, the facility covers approximately 56.5 hectares and is described as China’s first 100MW-class compressed CO₂ energy storage project.

The system stores energy by compressing and liquefying CO₂, which is held in storage before being converted back into gas and expanded to generate electricity. During periods of lower electricity demand, it can absorb surplus power and release electricity back to the grid during peak demand.

The facility comprises five gas storage chambers, 141 liquid storage units and 97 thermal storage units.  

Once fully operational, the project is expected to store 290mn kWh of electricity annually and supply 180mn kWh back to the grid during peak demand periods. It is also projected to reduce standard coal consumption by 50,000t/y and CO₂ emissions by approximately 170,000t/y.