On October 1, China's first million-kilowatt clean energy project integrating photovoltaic power generation, solar thermal energy storage, and electro-thermal conversion — the Qinghai Gonghe Million-Kilowatt Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Project — was successfully connected to the grid.
Through the coupled operation of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, the project stores daytime solar energy to provide power support during the evening peak demand period, advancing the shift of new energy from weather-dependent generation toward grid-demand-driven supply.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to deliver an average annual on-grid electricity output of 2.2 billion kilowatt-hours, saving approximately 690,000 tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2.07 million tonnes each year.