China bets on molten salt and CO2 to help meet its power needs

China has commenced construction on the Ruitan project, the world’s first utility-scale power plant designed to integrate supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) generation with large-scale molten salt energy storage. Located at an existing coal-fired power station in Yantai, Shandong province, the facility represents a significant deployment of emerging energy technologies within the country's power infrastructure.

By combining these two technologies, the project aims to address China's evolving power needs. The integration of supercritical CO2 generation and molten salt storage is intended to enhance the efficiency and operational capabilities of the power plant, marking a notable step in China's ongoing efforts to modernize its energy generation and storage systems.