China connects first grid-scale compressed CO2 storage plant

China Huadian’s first grid-connected 100 MW/1,000 MWh compressed CO₂ storage facility achieved initial grid connection in Xinjiang on September 30, 2026.

China Huadian connected its first grid-connected 100 MW/1,000 MWh compressed CO₂ storage plant to the grid in Mulei County, Xinjiang, on September 30, 2026. The facility forms part of a 600 MW wind and 400 MW solar development in the region. It occupies 565,000 square meters and includes 5 gas storage enclosures, 141 liquid CO₂ storage units, and 97 thermal storage units. When fully operational, it generates 200 GWh annually, avoiding 50,000 metric tons of coal and 170,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions yearly. The system achieves 92% turbine efficiency and supports over 20,000 start-stop cycles with a 30-year lifespan.

The technology—developed by Xi’an Jiaotong University researchers and commercialized by Shenzhen-based Exax Energy—enables rapid grid integration of renewable energy. By storing CO₂ for 10 hours at rated capacity, it stabilizes the grid for wind and solar output, reducing fossil fuel reliance. This directly advances energy security by mitigating renewable intermittency in China’s grid.

This project moves energy security toward abundance by making grid-stable renewable energy more accessible. As the first of its scale in China, it demonstrates how compressed CO₂ storage can scale renewable integration without new fossil infrastructure. What to watch: Independent verification of system-level efficiency and round-trip storage costs, which the source notes are not yet publicly confirmed. The 92% figure refers only to turbine efficiency, not the complete system’s electricity-to-electricity performance.

Source: pv magazine