Many MindedTibetan solar-thermal plant at 4,300 metres feeds its first unit into the grid
China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) connected the first 25 MW generating unit of a 50 MW concentrated solar power plant to the regional grid in Ali Prefecture, Tibet, on Nov. 6. CGN says the site averages 4,300 meters in elevation, making it the highest-altitude operating grid-connected CSP plant in the world. The second 25 MW steam turbine unit is scheduled to come online by the end of 2026.
The plant is part of a 150 MW demonstration project in Gar County that pairs 100 MW of PV with the 50 MW of CSP, at a total investment of about CNY 2.4 billion (roughly $330 million). Rather than relying on concentrated sunlight for heat, it uses surplus PV electricity to run a molten salt electric heater with a peak rating of 205 MW. The molten salt storage is designed for 14 hours, and stored heat drives the turbines at night or during peak demand. A lithium-ion battery system provides rapid frequency response. The plant also supplies winter district heating to Shiquanhe, Ali's administrative center, and can switch between grid-connected and islanded operation.
That last point matters because Ali is a remote border region that has relied on diesel backup and long-distance transmission. If the design works, cheap daytime solar becomes firm, round-the-clock power and heat locally, reducing dependence on fuel and long lines. It also fits a wider push: late in 2025 the NDRC and NEA jointly issued a policy targeting 15 GW of installed CSP by 2030.
The caveats are real. CGN's claims that this is the first CSP plant to combine PV-powered electric heating, molten salt storage and asynchronous battery storage, and that it has the largest CSP electric heater worldwide, are not independently verified. The integrated heating, storage and cogeneration systems have not yet been shown under sustained operation, especially in winter. And only one of two units is connected, so full capacity depends on the second.
Source: pv magazine