Jilin power plant connects to grid

Northeast China's first solar thermal power station marks a major leap forward in the country's green energy transition, proving that clean power can be successfully scaled in extreme, severely cold climates, said industry experts.

Commissioned by the end of June in Da'an, Jilin province, the 100-megawatt project by China General Nuclear Power Corp establishes a replicable national blueprint for high-latitude renewable energy development, they said.

Solar thermal power, which uses molten salt or other mediums to store and convert solar energy, offers both peak shaving and energy storage capabilities, enabling a 24/7 clean power supply.

Solar thermal power generation is a green, low-carbon, grid-friendly power source with the dual functions of peak regulation and energy storage, said Jiang Tonghai, chairman of CGN (Jilin) New Energy Investment Co, adding that it is an effective, safe and reliable means of replacing traditional energy with new energy.

According to CGN, a key innovation of the plant is its 40-MW molten salt electric heater, which allows for effective multi-energy coordination with CGN's previously operational 260 MW wind power and 130 MW photovoltaic projects in the vicinity.

During periods of peak wind and solar generation, the system can convert surplus electricity into thermal energy for storage. This design effectively mitigates the curtailment of wind and solar power, significantly enhancing the comprehensive utilization efficiency of regional clean energy.

The project is expected to generate 180 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually once put into operation. Compared to traditional coal-fired power generation, the plant will save approximately 54,000 metric tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 139,000 tons each year, it said.

Although China's concentrated solar power industry has begun to take shape, it still faces multiple challenges. Achieving economic viability remains a crucial goal for the industry's development as the economies of scale have not yet been fully realized.

Due to the high initial investment required for concentrated solar power projects, coupled with the absence of national pricing policies and subsidies, there is a lack of enthusiasm for investing in concentrated solar power plants. Consequently, the costs of these projects remain high, which restricts their large-scale development to a certain extent, experts said.

"Because concentrated solar power projects typically have a smaller single-unit capacity and a higher levelized cost of energy (LCOE), they face challenges such as a lack of market competitiveness compared to other forms of renewable energy like wind and photovoltaic power," said Yin Hang, director of China's national energy solar thermal power technology research and development center.

He noted that the keys to the industry's future development lie in improving solar-to-thermal conversion efficiency through technological innovation and driving the industry toward scalability and standardization.

"Currently, the localization rate can reach 95 percent," Yin said. "China's first parabolic trough concentrated solar power experimental base has achieved breakthroughs in key concentrated solar power technologies and equipment development that fill several domestic gaps, establishing a core competitiveness backed by independent intellectual property rights in areas such as concentrated solar power system integration and design, core equipment manufacturing, and power plant construction and operation."