In the first half of 2024, to promote the further localization of key equipment for CSP and reduce the cost of CSP, Qinghai SUPCON and Cosin Solar jointly carried out the localization transformation of the nickel alloy pipe for the molten salt receiver of the SUPCON SOLAR Delingha 10MW Molten Salt Tower CSP Plant (“Plant”). After the renovation, the Plant was put back into operation in August 2024. After three months of operation, the receiver ran stably and performed excellently.

The molten salt receiver is a core equipment of the CT CSP plant. Its operation is confronted with frequent and drastic changes in high and low temperatures, corrosive environments, and other harsh conditions, which put forward higher requirements for the comprehensive performance of the MS receiver material. Currently, the domestic operational and under-construction CT CSP projects generally employ imported nickel alloy pipes, which are costly and have a long delivery time. The transformation of the MS receiver in the Plant utilizes domestic nickel alloy pipes, overcomes technical challenges such as high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, thermal fatigue, and thermal shock of the receiver materials, and adopts an optimized design scheme of the receiver system. Up to now, the MS receiver has been operating safely and stably for three months. The outlet salt temperature of the receiver has reached 565 ± 5℃, and the technical indicators have fully met the design value.

The Plant is the first Molten Salt Tower CSP plant in China and the third in the world with a large-scale MSES system. It is also the first in the world with a two-tower and one-power-block configuration MS CT CSP plant. Since the plant was connected to the grid in July 2013, it has been running stably for 11 years. The plant took the lead in completing the engineering verification of China's self-developed CT CSP technology and domestic equipment in the cold and high-altitude areas. It verified the feasibility of the technical route of two towers and one power block. It provides technical support for the construction of large-capacity and low-cost CT CSP with multi-tower and one machine in the next stage.

The plant is located in Delingha, Qinghai Province, with a 10MW installed capacity and a 2-hour molten salt energy storage system. The Solar Field, MSR systems consist of two heliostat fields composed of 21,500 sets of 2㎡ heliostat and 1,000 sets of 20㎡ heliostat and two 80-meter-high towers. The power generation system is a steam turbine generator set with a rated power of 10MW. The completion and operation of the power station have set several milestones in the CSP industry.

• China's 1st commercially operated Tower CSP plant (since July 2013)

• China's 1st Molten Salt Tower CSP plant (since August 2016)

• China's 1st CSP plant awarded with Feed-in Tariff (1.2 RMB /kWh)