Solar Thermal Power Generation Embraces Opportunities for Scale Development
From：
Zhonglin International Group Date：04-27 961 Belong to：Industry Related
Recently, the National Energy Administration issued a notice on promoting the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation, proposing to implement a batch of solar thermal power generation projects as soon as possible in conjunction with the construction of new energy bases in desert, gobi, and similar types of areas to achieve an annual increase of approximately 3 million kilowatts in solar thermal power generation nationwide during the 14th Five Year Plan period. This means that the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation in China has begun.
Compared to common photovoltaic power plants, photothermal power generation is not well-known to people. Photovoltaic power generation is a system that uses solar cells to directly convert solar energy into electrical energy based on the principle of photovoltaic effect, while photothermal power generation is a system that converts solar energy into thermal energy and generates electricity through the process of thermal power conversion. Its principle is basically the same as that of thermal power generation, and the back-end technical equipment is the same. The difference is that the former uses solar energy to collect heat, while the latter uses burning coal, natural gas, etc. to obtain heat. After being equipped with a thermal storage system, the solar thermal power generation unit can achieve continuous and stable power generation for 24 hours.
This type of highly stable renewable energy is of great significance for building a new type of power system. Photovoltaic and wind power generation are constrained by meteorological conditions, characterized by intermittency, volatility, and randomness, which pose challenges to the safety and reliability of power systems. With the continuous increase in the proportion of large-scale new energy units in China and the continuous decrease in the proportion of coal-fired power, the wind and photovoltaic power in the western region will rely on coal-fired bundled external transmission mode, which will be unsustainable. Some ultra-high voltage transmission channels, due to the lack of regulating power supply, have a significant difference in transmission power between the channel and the design value. The generated wind and photovoltaic power cannot be transmitted, resulting in serious waste of wind and solar power, leading to resource waste.
Photothermal power generation has dual functions of peak shaving power supply and energy storage. After the solar thermal generator set is equipped with a heat storage function, not all of the heat is used when it is generated. Instead, a portion of the heat is stored by heating the molten salt and stored in a specially insulated storage tank until it is taken out when needed. The thermal energy stored in molten salt can sustain power generation for several hours, and theoretically can even reach several days. Photothermal power plants with this special ability can regulate and support new energy, providing better long-term peak shaving capability and moment of inertia for the power system. It is an effective means for new energy to safely and reliably replace traditional energy. The Electric Power Planning and Design Institute simulated and calculated the peak shaving effect of solar thermal power generation using the Xinjiang power grid as an example. The results showed that assuming the construction of solar thermal power generation units of different scales ranging from 1 million kW to 5 million kW, the amount of wind and solar power curtailment can be reduced by 10.2% to 37.6%.
At the same time, the solar thermal power generation industry has a long chain, which can digest and improve traditional industries such as special glass, steel, cement, and molten salt. It can also drive the development of emerging industries such as new materials and intelligent control. The large-scale development and utilization of solar thermal power generation will become a new growth point for China's new energy industry.
In order to promote the industrial development of solar thermal power generation technology in China, the National Energy Administration launched the first batch of 20 solar thermal power generation demonstration projects in 2016, with a total installed capacity of 1.349 million kilowatts, marking the beginning of the commercialization process of solar thermal power generation in China. Through the first batch of demonstration projects, relevant enterprises have been driven to innovate independently, breaking through multiple core technologies, and forming a complete industrial chain. Currently, the localization rate of equipment exceeds 90%, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation technology in the future. As of the end of 2022, there are a total of 9 demonstration projects for grid connected solar thermal power generation in China, with a total capacity of 550000 kilowatts. Compared to the goal of increasing the annual production capacity to around 3 million kilowatts, the scale of solar thermal power generation is expected to experience rapid growth.
However, in practical development, the scale of solar thermal power generation has been far surpassed by photovoltaic power generation. The main factor currently hindering the sustainable development of solar thermal power generation in China is the lack of continuity in relevant policies. For example, after the National Development and Reform Commission approved the benchmark online demonstration electricity price for solar thermal power generation in 2016, the enthusiasm for enterprise construction increased; The "Several Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of Non Water Renewable Energy Power Generation" issued at the beginning of 2020 clearly stated that new solar thermal projects will no longer be included in the scope of central government subsidies, and the good development momentum of solar thermal power generation will be significantly affected. Unclear policies have led to a lack of market development space for solar thermal power generation in China, and the cost cannot be continuously reduced through large-scale applications. The solar thermal power generation industry, which is in its early stages, is struggling. At the same time, the current financing environment, land policies, and tax policies cannot provide strong support for the healthy development of solar thermal power generation.
With the momentum of promoting the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation, it is also necessary to encourage provinces and regions with conditions to study and introduce supporting policies such as finance, price, and land to support the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation as soon as possible, plan ahead for million kilowatts and tens of millions of kilowatts of solar thermal power generation bases, and take the lead in building a solar thermal industry cluster. The energy regulatory authorities of key provinces (autonomous regions) such as Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang for solar thermal power generation should actively promote the planning and construction of solar thermal power generation projects, adjust relevant plans or base implementation plans in a timely manner based on research results, coordinate the layout of photovoltaic and solar thermal planning, reasonably layout or reserve solar thermal sites, and synchronously promote the scale and industrialization development of solar thermal power generation projects in the construction of new energy bases in this province. Fully leverage the role of solar thermal power generation in the new power system where the proportion of new energy is gradually increasing, and promote a crucial leap in solar thermal power generation.
Compared to common photovoltaic power plants, photothermal power generation is not well-known to people. Photovoltaic power generation is a system that uses solar cells to directly convert solar energy into electrical energy based on the principle of photovoltaic effect, while photothermal power generation is a system that converts solar energy into thermal energy and generates electricity through the process of thermal power conversion. Its principle is basically the same as that of thermal power generation, and the back-end technical equipment is the same. The difference is that the former uses solar energy to collect heat, while the latter uses burning coal, natural gas, etc. to obtain heat. After being equipped with a thermal storage system, the solar thermal power generation unit can achieve continuous and stable power generation for 24 hours.
This type of highly stable renewable energy is of great significance for building a new type of power system. Photovoltaic and wind power generation are constrained by meteorological conditions, characterized by intermittency, volatility, and randomness, which pose challenges to the safety and reliability of power systems. With the continuous increase in the proportion of large-scale new energy units in China and the continuous decrease in the proportion of coal-fired power, the wind and photovoltaic power in the western region will rely on coal-fired bundled external transmission mode, which will be unsustainable. Some ultra-high voltage transmission channels, due to the lack of regulating power supply, have a significant difference in transmission power between the channel and the design value. The generated wind and photovoltaic power cannot be transmitted, resulting in serious waste of wind and solar power, leading to resource waste.
Photothermal power generation has dual functions of peak shaving power supply and energy storage. After the solar thermal generator set is equipped with a heat storage function, not all of the heat is used when it is generated. Instead, a portion of the heat is stored by heating the molten salt and stored in a specially insulated storage tank until it is taken out when needed. The thermal energy stored in molten salt can sustain power generation for several hours, and theoretically can even reach several days. Photothermal power plants with this special ability can regulate and support new energy, providing better long-term peak shaving capability and moment of inertia for the power system. It is an effective means for new energy to safely and reliably replace traditional energy. The Electric Power Planning and Design Institute simulated and calculated the peak shaving effect of solar thermal power generation using the Xinjiang power grid as an example. The results showed that assuming the construction of solar thermal power generation units of different scales ranging from 1 million kW to 5 million kW, the amount of wind and solar power curtailment can be reduced by 10.2% to 37.6%.
At the same time, the solar thermal power generation industry has a long chain, which can digest and improve traditional industries such as special glass, steel, cement, and molten salt. It can also drive the development of emerging industries such as new materials and intelligent control. The large-scale development and utilization of solar thermal power generation will become a new growth point for China's new energy industry.
In order to promote the industrial development of solar thermal power generation technology in China, the National Energy Administration launched the first batch of 20 solar thermal power generation demonstration projects in 2016, with a total installed capacity of 1.349 million kilowatts, marking the beginning of the commercialization process of solar thermal power generation in China. Through the first batch of demonstration projects, relevant enterprises have been driven to innovate independently, breaking through multiple core technologies, and forming a complete industrial chain. Currently, the localization rate of equipment exceeds 90%, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation technology in the future. As of the end of 2022, there are a total of 9 demonstration projects for grid connected solar thermal power generation in China, with a total capacity of 550000 kilowatts. Compared to the goal of increasing the annual production capacity to around 3 million kilowatts, the scale of solar thermal power generation is expected to experience rapid growth.
However, in practical development, the scale of solar thermal power generation has been far surpassed by photovoltaic power generation. The main factor currently hindering the sustainable development of solar thermal power generation in China is the lack of continuity in relevant policies. For example, after the National Development and Reform Commission approved the benchmark online demonstration electricity price for solar thermal power generation in 2016, the enthusiasm for enterprise construction increased; The "Several Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of Non Water Renewable Energy Power Generation" issued at the beginning of 2020 clearly stated that new solar thermal projects will no longer be included in the scope of central government subsidies, and the good development momentum of solar thermal power generation will be significantly affected. Unclear policies have led to a lack of market development space for solar thermal power generation in China, and the cost cannot be continuously reduced through large-scale applications. The solar thermal power generation industry, which is in its early stages, is struggling. At the same time, the current financing environment, land policies, and tax policies cannot provide strong support for the healthy development of solar thermal power generation.
With the momentum of promoting the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation, it is also necessary to encourage provinces and regions with conditions to study and introduce supporting policies such as finance, price, and land to support the large-scale development of solar thermal power generation as soon as possible, plan ahead for million kilowatts and tens of millions of kilowatts of solar thermal power generation bases, and take the lead in building a solar thermal industry cluster. The energy regulatory authorities of key provinces (autonomous regions) such as Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang for solar thermal power generation should actively promote the planning and construction of solar thermal power generation projects, adjust relevant plans or base implementation plans in a timely manner based on research results, coordinate the layout of photovoltaic and solar thermal planning, reasonably layout or reserve solar thermal sites, and synchronously promote the scale and industrialization development of solar thermal power generation projects in the construction of new energy bases in this province. Fully leverage the role of solar thermal power generation in the new power system where the proportion of new energy is gradually increasing, and promote a crucial leap in solar thermal power generation.
