China Connects Inaugural Gigawatt Solar-Thermal Project to Grid
POWERCHINA's Gonghe project in Qinghai, comprising 900 megawatt of photovoltaic and a 100 megawatt molten salt tower plant with 10,310 heliostats, is now connected to the grid. This development completes China's first three tower solar thermal base.
The one gigawatt Gonghe photovoltaic and solar thermal project, located in Qinghai province, recently joined the national power grid, state broadcaster CCTV reported. This plant integrates photovoltaic generation, solar thermal storage, and electric to heat conversion. It is described as China's inaugural gigawatt scale clean energy project of its specific kind.
Situated in Gonghe County within Qinghai's Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the scheme combines a 900 megawatt photovoltaic plant with a 100 megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal plant. The thermal section features 10,310 pentagonal heliostats. These mirrors possess a total reflective area of about 500,000 square metres, arranged around a 219 metre receiver tower. The photovoltaic section incorporates approximately 1.9 million modules, according to The Paper. And this project forms part of China's second national programme of large scale wind and solar bases.
Operation involves heliostats reflecting and concentrating sunlight onto a receiver during daylight hours, warming molten salt for storage. When electricity is required, the heated salt then warms water, creating high temperature, high pressure steam. This steam subsequently drives a turbine. This system allows the plant to move daytime solar energy to meet evening peak demands and supply during cloudy periods, shifting renewable energy away from weather dependent output towards generation aligning with grid requirements. Most generated electricity will travel to Henan province via the Qinghai Henan plus or minus 800 kilovolt ultra high voltage direct current line.
Once fully operational, the Gonghe project is forecast to supply an average of about 2.2 billion kilowatt hours to the grid each year. This is expected to save approximately 690,000 tonnes of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.07 million tonnes, CCTV reported. POWERCHINA's new energy unit invested in and operates the project, with POWERCHINA Northwest Engineering Corporation serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. Underneath the photovoltaic arrays, high and low mounting frames remain in place. So native grassland can support grazing sheep beneath the panels.
With this project now active, the Talatan area of Gonghe hosts China's first three tower solar thermal base. This base contains approximately 63,000 large mirrors forming three circular heliostat arrays, positioned in a triangular configuration. And solar thermal plants serve as both peaking power sources and long duration storage facilities.
China's national solar thermal capacity stood at 2.2 GW in operation and 3.1 GW under construction by the end of last Aug. This combined total makes it the largest globally. Qinghai province alone accounts for 710 MW in operation and 1.35 GW under construction. The nation's policy aims for about 15 GW of solar thermal capacity by the close of the decade.
The POWERCHINA Gonghe project, a 1 gigawatt photovoltaic and solar thermal plant, is connected to China's national grid.
Located in Qinghai province, the project combines 900 megawatt of photovoltaic capacity with a 100 megawatt molten salt tower.
It represents China's first gigawatt scale clean energy project of its type and completes the nation's initial three tower solar thermal base.
The system can store daytime solar energy for use during peak demand periods or cloudy conditions.
China presently operates the world's largest combined total of solar thermal capacity, with further expansion planned.
Source: Pandaily
