China begins construction on world-first sCO2 and molten salt energy plant

Construction has begun on the Ruitan demonstration project in Yantai, Shandong province, which aims to become the world’s first utility-scale facility combining supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power generation with molten salt thermal energy storage.

The project integrates a 50-megawatt sCO2 power generation unit with a 100-megawatt, 400 megawatt-hour molten salt energy storage system. Unlike conventional power plants that use water to create steam for turbines, this system uses pressurized CO2 that possesses both gas and liquid properties. This closed-loop technology is water-free, more compact, and can adjust its load approximately four times faster than traditional coal units.

The facility functions as a thermal storage system: during periods of low electricity demand, surplus power is used to heat molten salt from approximately 280 to 560 degrees Celsius. When demand increases, the stored heat is transferred to the CO2 via a heat exchanger to drive the turbines. The plant is expected to be operational by 2027.