China has commissioned a massive hybrid solar power plant in the Gobi Desert that can continue generating electricity for up to eight hours after sunset without relying on lithium-ion batteries.
Developed by state-owned China Three Gorges Corporation, the 1 GW facility in Xinjiang combines conventional photovoltaic panels with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology and molten-salt energy storage.
How the system works
The plant has 900 MW of photovoltaic capacity and a 100 MW concentrated solar power section designed to store energy for use after dark.
During the day, electricity generated by the solar panels is fed directly into the grid. At the same time, around 260,000 mirrors covering 800,000 square metres track the sun and concentrate its rays to heat a mixture of molten salts.
The salts can reach temperatures of between 400°C and 565°C before being stored in insulated tanks.
After sunset, the stored heat is transferred to water through a heat exchanger, producing high-pressure steam that drives a turbine and generator. Once the molten salt cools to around 290°C, it is stored in a second tank and can be reheated the following day.
The system therefore does not operate at its full capacity throughout the night, but provides a steady supply of electricity during the evening when solar photovoltaic output falls.
Lower storage costs
The facility is expected to generate around 2.07 TWh of electricity annually, enough to supply approximately 830,000 homes.
The molten-salt system offers several potential advantages over battery storage, including lower costs, limited reliance on critical materials such as lithium and cobalt, and relatively low degradation over time.
Its main limitation is geographical: concentrated solar power requires strong and consistent sunlight, making desert regions particularly suitable for the technology.
The project cost approximately €450 million and officially entered trial operation on July 1. However, the facility had already been connected to the regional grid and operating for several months before its formal commissioning.
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