The "Thermal Power+Molten Salt" energy storage project of Suzhou Power Plant is the first large-scale thermal power project in China to apply molten salt energy storage technology. This project utilizes the temperature difference between the heating and cooling processes of molten salt to achieve thermal energy storage, which is equivalent to installing a huge "power bank" for thermal power plants. During the low season of the power grid, thermal power units extract a portion of steam to store energy, and release energy during peak electricity consumption and deep peak shaving, effectively solving the contradiction between unit peak shaving output and steam supply.

The designed thermal storage capacity of the project is 1000 megawatt hours. After completion, the Suzhou power plant can achieve continuous heating at full load for 4 hours, and continuous heating for 5 hours under deep peak shaving at 30% rated load. At the same time, the external heating capacity reaches 410 tons/hour, an increase of 260 tons/hour compared to the original. This innovative technology not only improves energy efficiency, but also significantly reduces carbon emissions.

Suzhou Power Plant was founded in 1958 and has a history of 67 years. It is a typical urban thermal power plant. With the increasing proportion of new energy generation, the thermal power industry is actively exploring the integration and development of new and renewable energy. Suzhou Power Plant launched the "Key Technology Research and Demonstration Application Project for Coal Electricity Flexibility Based on Molten Salt Thermal Storage" in 2022, and was successfully selected as one of the first national green and low-carbon demonstration projects.

According to scientific calculations, the project will consume approximately 128 million kilowatt hours of new energy annually, reducing the use of 32000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon emissions by 2.2 million tons per year. This can meet the heat needs of more than 40 local industrial and commercial enterprises. The successful implementation of this project has played a positive role in promoting the transformation of China's energy structure, building a new type of power system, and improving the quality of the atmospheric environment.

Suzhou Power Plant has successfully solved the contradiction between peak shaving and heating through technological innovation, and installed intelligent regulators for traditional thermal power plants. This not only ensures the original heating, but also enhances the peak shaving ability of thermal power plants, which helps to improve the consumption capacity of new energy. The completion of this project marks a solid step forward for China on the path of energy transition and green low-carbon development. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website strategy column editor/Wu Juan