China is building power plant that runs on molten salt and CO2
China Huaneng, one of the five largest state-owned electricity generation enterprises in China, is building the country's first plant that stores surplus coal power as heat in molten salt and uses it to drive a turbine with carbon dioxide instead of steam.
China is constructing a unique power plant at the Bajiao facility in Yantai, Shandong Province, that will harness the combined energy of molten salt and carbon dioxide. The demonstration project, which broke ground on September 16, is set to commence operations in 2027, according to Xinhua. In its initial phase, the plant will feature a 50MW supercritical CO2 generating unit paired with a 100MW/400MWh molten salt storage system, as reported by China News Service.
Once operational, the unit will be the world's largest commercial demonstration of this innovative technology. During periods of low demand, surplus electricity from the plant's coal-fired combined heat and power units will be used to heat the molten salt to 560 degrees Celsius. When demand is high, the hot salt will then heat carbon dioxide, which drives a turbine and generates steam for external use.
This arrangement allows the plant to reduce its power output to the grid while still providing heat.
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