China’s first 100-megawatt compressed carbon dioxide energy storage project, developed by China Huadian in Mulei, Xinjiang, northwest China, has successfully connected to the grid, opening a green, zero-carbon, efficient and cost-effective new path for large-scale energy storage.

Located in Mulei’s Gobi Desert, the facility covers roughly 56 hectares with five gas storage tanks, 141 liquid storage units and 97 heat storage units. It stores 290 million kWh of green power during off-peak hours and releases 180 million kWh at peak demand. With annual output of around 200 million kWh, it saves 50,000 tonnes of standard coal and cuts 170,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions yearly.

Using CO₂ as a closed-cycle working fluid, the system is independent of geological conditions, with low pressure and temperature thresholds, high reliability and low costs. All core technologies are fully self-developed. The emission-free process also recycles CO₂ from nearby industries, boosting generation efficiency by over 10% compared with traditional thermal power.