On May 30th, at the construction site of the 100MW tower-type molten salt photothermal power generation project of Xinjiang Jinghe Xinhua New Energy, jointly constructed by Shouhang Hi-tech, as the first absorber tube panel was precisely lifted to the top of the 200-meter-high absorber tower, it marked the full launch of the installation phase of the core equipment for the project. This laid a solid foundation for another major photothermal energy storage project in the northwest region of China to be connected to the grid on schedule.

This lifting operation lasted for 30 minutes and was carried out using a D800-42 tower crane as the main lifting equipment. The first pipe screen that was positioned had a specification of 2.865 meters by 22.5 meters and weighed approximately 16.5 tons. Under the precise command of the project team, it achieved a millimeter-level precise connection. According to the on-site project manager of First Solar, the entire heat absorber is composed of 16 pipes of the same specification, assembled into a cylindrical structure, with a rated thermal power of 250 MWt. It is the "heart" equipment of the photothermal power station for achieving efficient conversion of light energy into heat energy. The successful first lift has created favorable conditions for the subsequent batch installation of pipe screens, the positioning of the buffer tank, and the construction of the tower top ancillary facilities. The project team will continue to strictly adhere to the safety bottom line, strictly control the project quality, seize the construction schedule, and spare no effort to advance all processes.

As one of the few domestic enterprises that possess the complete independent technology for 100MW tower-type molten salt heat absorption systems, Songhang Gaoke has established a complete industrial chain capability covering design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning. The company's independently developed "100MW Molten Salt Tower-Type Solar Thermal Power Station Absorber" has been awarded as the first (set) major technological equipment by the National Energy Administration, and has successively won several industry's highest honors such as the First Prize of Science and Technology Progress of the China Renewable Energy Society and the First Prize of Science and Technology Progress of Gansu Province.

In terms of technological innovation, Shanghang Gaoke has overcome a number of "critical bottlenecks" for the thermal collectors under extreme conditions. In response to the extremely high heat flux density of up to 1.2 MW/m², the 560°C high-temperature molten salt corrosion, frequent start-stop thermal fatigue, and high-altitude strong wind vibration under harsh operating conditions, the company has achieved precise control of the temperature gradient and flow field distribution of the tubes and panels through CFD and multi-physics field coupling simulation technology. This has effectively extended the service life of the equipment. In the field of material domestication, Shanghang Gaoke jointly developed the SHBG-2 nickel-based alloy substrate with Baosteel, and jointly researched and developed the nano high-entropy spectral selective absorption coating with the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These have completely broken the foreign technology monopoly. Among them, the solar absorption rate of the self-developed coating is ≥ 95%, and the heat absorption efficiency is approximately 3.9% higher than that of imported products. The related technologies have been verified for stable operation for many years in the 10MW and 100MW solar thermal power stations in Dunhuang. 

Project Overview

The heat absorption device of the Jinghe project uses binary molten salt as the heat transfer and storage medium. The designed outlet temperature is 560℃, with an overall heat absorption efficiency of ≥ 92%. The designed service life is 30 years. It is equipped with 16,179 heliostats and the total collector area is approximately 530,000 square meters. After the project is fully operational, it will have a storage capacity of more than 10 hours, enabling continuous and stable power generation for 24 hours. It will provide a reliable peak-shaving power source for the Xinjiang power grid and contribute to the transformation of the regional energy structure.

The successful installation of the heat absorption device in the Jinghe project marks another significant milestone in the engineering application of the company's photothermal technology system. In the future, the company will continue to delve deeply into the field of photothermal energy storage, constantly promoting technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and contributing the strength of Fanghang to the realization of China's "dual carbon" goals.