Major National Projects Achieve Breakthroughs During Holiday Period

Exciting news! During the recent holidays, several major national projects have made significant progress, marking new breakthroughs.

On October 2, the Southern Power Grid announced the successful commissioning of the second unit of the Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station’s second phase. This event has pushed the operational capacity of pumped storage power stations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to over 10 million kilowatts. The second unit of the Meizhou pumped storage power station has an installed capacity of 300,000 kilowatts. With its successful launch, the operational capacity in the Greater Bay Area now reaches 10.28 million kilowatts, which accounts for approximately one-sixth of the national total. Furthermore, the newly commissioned unit has entered the Southern regional electricity market, capable of accommodating 1.8 million kilowatts of new energy generation.

According to Chen Hongyu, deputy general manager of the Meizhou Phase II project at the Southern Power Grid’s energy storage company, the entire Meizhou pumped storage project is expected to be fully completed and operational by the end of the year, achieving full domestic production of the main components. By the end of September 2025, six pumped storage stations, including those in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Yangjiang, have collectively adjusted 326.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity for the Greater Bay Area, equivalent to the electricity needs of 5.5 million residents over 30 years.

On October 1, the world’s first “dual-tower one-machine” solar thermal storage power station in Gansu’s Guazhou entered its final testing phase and commenced full system operation on October 2. As the concentrating commands were given, nearly 27,000 heliostats began to “concentrate heat,” illuminating a heat-absorbing tower over 200 meters tall and converting sunlight into a stable, clean energy source. The “dual-tower one-machine” design features two adjacent heat-absorbing towers sharing a single steam turbine generator. Heliostats installed at the base reflect sunlight to heat molten salts in the towers for power generation, supplemented by a molten salt heat storage system that guarantees continuous power output for 24 hours. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate approximately 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

So, what key technologies lie behind the impressive performance of these heliostats? In the testing phase of the “dual-tower one-machine” solar thermal storage project, the 27,000 heliostats are the absolute “core executors,” achieving high-efficiency light concentration and stable operation. The technology employs low-iron ultra-white glass combined with a high-purity silver reflective film, ensuring maximal sunlight utilization. The heliostats have a reflection rate of 94%, significantly higher than the 85% of standard mirrors. This means that the temperature reaching the heat-absorbing tower will also be higher. According to Yang Xuliang, project manager of the Three Gorges Energy Guazhou solar thermal storage project, the molten salt returning to the low-temperature storage tank is about 280 degrees Celsius. On clear days, sunlight reflected on the heat absorber can heat the molten salt to 565 degrees Celsius in just half an hour, storing it in a high-temperature tank for efficient solar energy utilization.

To ensure these heliostats follow the sun, industrial internet support is crucial. Each heliostat is equipped with a dual-axis drive system that controls its orientation. The horizontal axis adjusts the left-right direction, while the vertical axis controls the tilt angle. Embedded sensors and motors within the framework allow for real-time adjustments. Each heliostat is also assigned a unique identification number and communication module, connecting it seamlessly to the central control system.

The central control system provides a visual display of each heliostat’s operation. It utilizes astronomical algorithms to calculate the sun’s elevation and azimuth angles in real-time, automatically adjusting the heliostats for optimal sunlight reflection onto the heat absorber. Guazhou is known for its strong winds throughout the year. Concerns about the heliostats being displaced by high winds are unfounded. According to Peng Shide, the technical head of the Three Gorges Energy Guazhou solar thermal storage project, the intelligent control system issues corrective commands to slightly misaligned heliostats when wind speeds are below 13 meters per second. When wind speeds exceed this threshold, the system automatically activates “wind mode,” adjusting the heliostats to align parallel to the wind direction, minimizing wind resistance.

In the Taratan area of Qinhai Province, the world’s largest photovoltaic power generation park is located. Here, over 23,000 heliostats act as precise “light seekers,” tracking the sun’s trajectory in real-time via intelligent control systems. They concentrate and reflect dispersed sunlight onto a heat absorber over 200 meters high, supported by a large-capacity molten salt storage system to ensure continuous, stable power supply around the clock. Currently, Qinhai’s clean energy generation accounts for over 90% of the total installed capacity and output.