Molten Salt Storage Commercialization Advances: First 100MW Project Goes Online in Qinghai, China

China Huadian Corporation announced on January 17 the commissioning of its 100MW/800MWh molten salt energy storage project in Golmud, Qinghai. The project is currently the world's largest molten salt energy storage plant, capable of 8 hours of continuous power supply without sunlight.

The project uses a dual-tank molten salt thermal storage system with high-temperature tank at 565°C and low-temperature tank at 290°C. Surplus photovoltaic electricity heats molten salt during the day, while at night the molten salt generates steam to drive turbines. Huadian reports the storage system's round-trip efficiency is approximately 88%.

China's National Energy Administration new energy department stated that molten salt energy storage suits China's northwest "photovoltaic + storage" scenarios. Compared to lithium battery storage, molten salt has a longer cycle life (30+ years) and doesn't depend on imported lithium, cobalt, and other minerals.