en.Wedoany.com Reported - Four solar researchers have proposed a molten salt thermal storage solution in the journal Nature to salvage the $2.2 billion Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California.
Located in the Mojave Desert, the plant has a design capacity of 392 megawatts and features 173,500 heliostats, but it uses a direct steam system. Under cloudy conditions, the system shuts down abruptly and requires natural gas combustion to restart. Additionally, power generation is concentrated during daylight hours when electricity prices are lowest, leading to a severe economic mismatch with the modern grid. Major utility companies Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison sought to terminate contracts early, but the California Public Utilities Commission rejected the request, citing that green energy should not be removed during periods of tight digital power supply.
The study notes that Ivanpah's mirror operational availability exceeds 92%, with the issue lying in the water-based receiver. The proposal suggests replacing the direct steam tower with a molten salt receiver and equipping it with a two-tank molten salt system, increasing thermal storage capacity to 12 hours. Since liquid nitrate absorbs and retains heat far better than water, this upgrade would allow the plant to store midday heat and dispatch electricity during peak demand hours after sunset. After the retrofit, the plant's internal rate of return would increase by 30%.
The context for this retrofit is that, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data, global data center electricity consumption grew by 17% in 2025, while total power generation increased by only 3%, with AI-related electricity consumption rising by 50%. The contradiction between growing electricity demand and traditional power generation capacity is intensifying. This case demonstrates that the green transition requires prioritizing energy storage alongside power generation, and modernizing existing green technology infrastructure plays a crucial role in stabilizing the grid and achieving climate goals.
