Advantages of solar thermal power generation and energy storage

In the photothermal power plant, the physical thermal energy storage (molten salt energy storage) medium molten salt is a mixture of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. The process is mature, and it has been used in the industrial and agricultural fields for a long time. There is no loss or replacement within the 30 year life cycle of the power plant.

The system is stable. The solar thermal generator set is equipped with a thermal storage system, and the power generation is stable and reliable. When the capacity of the thermal storage system is large, the solar thermal generator set can achieve continuous and stable power generation for 24 hours. Therefore, it can bear the basic load in the power grid.

Excellent peak shaving performance. The starting time, load regulation range and other performances of the photothermal generator unit are superior to those of the coal-fired unit, and can participate in the peak shaving of the power grid. The excellent peak shaving performance of the solar thermal generator unit can enhance the power system's ability to absorb new energy power and reduce the loss of wind and light abandonment.

Participate in power system frequency modulation. Photothermal power generation can quickly adjust the output of steam turbine generator units according to the demand of power load of the power grid, participate in the primary and secondary frequency modulation of the power system, and also provide the power system with the support of the moment of inertia to maintain the stability of the system frequency.

It can cope with extreme weather conditions. In the power grid with a large proportion of wind power/photovoltaic, under continuous extreme meteorological conditions, such as cloudy, rainy and windless days, when the power system is short of generating power, the photothermal generator unit can be used as an emergency security generator unit, which uses standby natural gas to heat molten salt, so that the unit can generate power stably at full load, and the standby cost is low.

It can be used as an energy storage power station. The solar thermal generator set is equipped with a large capacity molten salt heat storage system, which is capable of heating molten salt for energy storage by using abandoned wind power at night. The solar thermal generator set uses the heat storage system to generate electricity in the early peak hours of the next day, thus playing the role of energy storage power station. In this mode, the new investment cost is only the additional molten salt electric heating equipment.