Source: CSTA
On the evening of May 10, the Tibet Zabuye 40MW CSP project, undertaken by Shandong Electric Power Construction Company No. 3, a CSTA member, achieved simultaneous heat storage and power generation with two sets of molten salt, signifying full operation.
Located on the southeast side of Zabuye Salt Lake, 165 km north of Zhongba County, Rikaze City, at an altitude of over 4,500 meters, this project is the world’s first high-altitude, grid-end one.
It uses a trough CSP station as the main power source to achieve clean energy isolated-grid operation and offers a comprehensive, safe, stable, and reliable 24/7 energy supply.
The project integrates a thermal and electrical energy isolated-grid system, comprising a 40-MW trough CSP station, a 35-MW photovoltaic power station, and 20 – 40 MWh of electrochemical energy storage.
[Zabuye Salt Lake is a high-altitude salt lake in the China Autonymous Region of Tibet known for its high concentration of lithium.]
Source: esplaza
Aligned with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for sustainable energy development, the project supports lithium extraction from salt lakes, drives economic growth in Tibet, and delivers significant environmental and social benefits.
As Shandong Electric Power Construction Third Engineering Co., Ltd.’s first large-scale EPC project in Tibet and its inaugural domestic parabolic trough solar thermal plant, the project demonstrates the feasibility of high-altitude energy infrastructure.
Overcoming challenges such as extreme altitude, harsh climate, and logistical constraints since its March 2023 initiation, this initiative provides critical insights for future high-altitude clean energy projects and advances solar thermal technology in extreme environments.
