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.
