China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has officially commenced commercial trial operations for the world’s largest solar PV-plus-concentrated-solar hybrid project. Located in the Hami region of the Gobi Desert in Xinjiang, the 1-gigawatt facility represents a significant shift in how renewable energy is stored and dispatched.
Energy Storage Without Lithium
The project's primary innovation is its ability to deliver electricity long after sunset without relying on traditional lithium-ion battery banks. Instead, the Hami project utilizes concentrated solar power (CSP) technology to store the sun's energy as thermal heat within molten salt. This thermal energy can then be converted back into electricity, allowing the plant to maintain a steady output for up to eight hours after dark.
By integrating standard photovoltaic (PV) panels with the molten salt storage system, the hybrid plant addresses the intermittency issues typically associated with solar energy. This dual-track approach ensures a more reliable power supply for the regional grid, demonstrating a scalable alternative to chemical battery storage for large-scale utility projects.
