China's largest single-unit tower-type solar thermal power project under construction—the Huidong New Energy Solar Thermal + Photovoltaic Pilot Project—achieved full-capacity grid connection, marking the official commissioning of the largest tower-type solar thermal project among the country's first batch of "sand and Gobi desert" projects.
From CNENERGYNEWS
On November 30th, in Akesai County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, China's largest single-unit tower-type solar thermal power project under construction—the Huidong New Energy Solar Thermal + Photovoltaic Pilot Project—achieved full-capacity grid connection, marking the official commissioning of the largest tower-type solar thermal project among the country's first batch of "sand and Gobi desert" projects.
Nestled within the Akesai County Fortieth Mile Gobi Ten Thousand Kilowatt-level Solar Thermal Power Base, the Huidong New Energy "Solar Thermal + Photovoltaic" Pilot Project stands as one of China's pioneering solar thermal demonstration power stations. The project boasts a substantial investment of 5.06 billion yuan and is designed for a total installed capacity of 750 megawatts, comprising 110 megawatts of solar thermal and 640 megawatts of photovoltaic generation. The photovoltaic component was completed and grid-connected on August 17th. With full integration into the power grid, the project is expected to generate an average annual output of 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours for the grid.
Project technicians have highlighted the innovative technology employed in the solar thermal segment, which utilizes a secondary reflection tower-type concentrating system. The installation features 11,960 state-of-the-art, pentagonal monitor-style heliostats, a first in China. These heliostats automatically track the sun, reflecting solar radiation towards a heat absorption unit atop a 200-meter-tallabsorber tower, thereby converting solar energy into thermal energy. The heated molten salt is then transferred to an insulated storage tank. During nighttime operations, the high-temperature molten salt is directed to a heat exchanger, where it imparts thermal energy to water, producing superheated steam that powers turbines for electricity generation. This approach enables the power station to maintain stable electricity generation for eight hours after dark, effectively mitigating the intermittency and variability issues associated with photovoltaic power stations and significantly improving the economic efficiency of the facility.