At 13:10 on March 26, the natural gas ignition for preheating the molten salt tanks at the 1 GW “CSP + renewables” integrated project developed by Xinhua Hydropower Co., Ltd. in Bortala, Xinjiang, was successfully completed on the first attempt. This marks a key milestone in the commissioning phase and lays a solid foundation for the high-quality completion and operation of the project.
The molten salt tanks are the core equipment of the thermal energy storage system in a CSP plant. Each tank has a diameter of 32.5 meters and a height of 14.5 meters, with a storage capacity of nearly 12,000 tonnes of high-temperature molten salt. The system is designed for a maximum operating temperature of 590°C, with a maximum working temperature of 563°C, serving as the key medium for long-duration energy storage and stable power generation.
During the ignition process, the project team strictly followed the dedicated commissioning plan and efficiently completed six prerequisite procedures, including gas tightness testing of natural gas equipment and pipelines, on-site control cabinet commissioning of the combustion furnace and DCS temperature measurement points, as well as interlock testing of the ignition system. The flame burned steadily, and all operational parameters met the design standards. Over the next ten days, the system will be gradually heated to above 350°C, preparing for subsequent molten salt filling.
The project is located in Dalet Town, Bole City, Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, covering an area of 2.04 million square meters. It is invested and developed by Huadong Xinhua Energy Investment Co., Ltd., with EPC works for the 100 MW CSP project undertaken by a consortium of Gansu Installation Construction Group Co., Ltd. and Hengji Nengmai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
The project adopts a “solar tower + molten salt thermal storage” technology route, equipped with 13,402 heliostats that concentrate sunlight over an area of 530,000 square meters. Through the molten salt storage system, the plant is capable of delivering continuous green electricity during nighttime and cloudy or rainy conditions.
Upon completion, the project is expected to generate approximately 2.04 billion kWh of clean electricity annually, saving about 622,400 tonnes of standard coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 1.6984 million tonnes each year.
