On March 15, the final steel beam was hoisted into place for the main plant building of the thermal power + molten salt energy storage project at the Suzhou Thermal Power Plant, operated by CHN Energy Anhui Branch. This marks the completion of the main construction phase of China’s largest project of its kind and signals the start of the equipment commissioning stage.
The project employs molten salt thermal energy storage technology that utilizes the temperature differential during the salt’s heating and cooling processes to store energy. Its primary goal is to resolve the conflict between thermal power unit load regulation and heat supply.
Two molten salt storage tanks, operating at high and low temperatures of 390°C and 190°C respectively, provide a total storage capacity of 1,000 megawatt-hours. By integrating primary steam, reheating and a four-stage, three-extraction steam heat storage process, the project decouples heat production from electricity generation.
During peak electricity demand and periods requiring deep load regulation, the system can supply heating steam continuously for four hours and provide heating for five hours even at 30% below rated load. Once fully operational, the project will boost external heat supply capacity to 410 tons per hour—an increase of 260 tons per hour over previous levels.
Suzhou Thermal Power Plant, a typical urban co-generation facility, operates two 350,000-kilowatt thermal power units that serve both electricity and heating needs. In 2022, the plant launched the Research and Demonstration Project on Key Technologies for Enhancing the Flexibility of Coal-fired Power Based on Molten Salt Energy Storage, was selected as one of the nation’s first green, low-carbon demonstration projects, and received support in the form of 100 million RMB in ultra-long-term special national bonds. Once commissioned, the project is expected to annually increase new energy integration capacity by approximately 128 million kilowatt-hours, reduce coal consumption by 32,000 tons of standard coal, and cut carbon emissions by 85,000 tons. It will also enhance annual heat supply by 2.2 million tons, thereby meeting the heating demands of over 40 local industrial and commercial enterprises. This initiative provides a new pathway for coal-fired units to transition into supportive, regulation-oriented power sources and advances the development of innovative energy storage technologies.
