CNNC's first 100 MW tower concentrated solar power (CSP) project with thermal energy storage officially entered full-system trial operation on July 22.

Located in Bortala, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region of China, the project has a total installed capacity of 1 GW, combining 100 MW of tower CSP with 900 MW of solar generation. The CSP system uses molten salt tower technology, featuring a 220-meter receiver tower and 13,402 heliostats that reflect and concentrate sunlight from a 530,000-square-meter field onto the receiver. The molten salt is heated to 565 C and stored in hot salt tanks, enabling up to eight hours of thermal energy storage.

The project is currently undergoing commissioning, grid connection tests, and performance verification to ensure the safe and stable operation of the CSP system, paving the way for commercial operation.