China Huadian has connected a large-scale energy storage facility to the grid in the Gobi Desert, located in the Mulei County of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The plant, which began operations on September 30, 2026, features a power capacity of 100 MW and an energy storage capacity of 1 GWh.
The system utilizes a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle with compressed and liquefied carbon dioxide. During charging, electricity powers compressors to liquefy CO2, while generated heat is captured in 97 thermal storage units. The facility includes five gas storage sites and 141 tanks for liquid CO2.
When discharging, the liquid CO2 is evaporated using stored heat to drive a turbine connected to an electric generator. The project was developed by Exa Energy and Dongfang Electric, with technology provided by Xi'an Jiaotong University. The system is designed for a 30-year lifespan and over 20,000 cycles.
The facility is part of a broader renewable energy initiative that incorporates 600 MW of wind and 400 MW of solar power. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to deliver approximately 200 GWh of electricity annually, reducing coal consumption by 50,000 tons and CO2 emissions by 170,000 tons per year.
