High-Altitude Solar Thermal Steam Turbine Unit Successfully Delivered, Setting New Benchmark for Extreme Environment Equipment

On January 20, the steam turbine unit independently developed by Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd. of Dongfang Electric Corporation for the Tibet Kaituo Anduo County Tushuo 100 MW Tower-type Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant was successfully shipped. As the highest-altitude operational steam turbine of its kind in China, this unit has successfully overcome technical challenges posed by extreme high-altitude environments. This achievement marks a significant step forward in China's capability to develop and manufacture large-scale CSP equipment under high-altitude and extreme conditions, providing an important demonstration for industry-wide technological advancement.

Known as the "Roof of the World" in the CSP field, the Anduo CSP project is located in the Tanggula Mountain area at an altitude of 4,650 meters. It is the world's first tower-type CSP project built in a high-altitude, grid-remote region and also the first tower-type CSP plant in Tibet. With thin air, extremely low temperatures, and weak grid stability in the area, the steam turbine unit faces stringent demands for wide-load adaptability, start-stop flexibility, and operational safety and reliability—challenges for which no mature technical solutions previously existed.

To tackle these extreme operational challenges, Dongfang Turbine established a dedicated R&D team to delve into technological breakthroughs, developing multiple core technologies tailored for the unit. The turbine employs an advanced fourth-generation high-efficiency flow path design, precisely meeting power output requirements under plateau low-pressure conditions and significantly improving energy conversion efficiency. It also integrates cutting-edge technologies such as full-lifecycle rotor management and last-stage blade monitoring, paired with a self-developed high-altitude shaft seal adaptive system and exhaust ventilation system. These innovations fundamentally address industry pain points such as leakage susceptibility, heat dissipation difficulties, and delayed load regulation in high-altitude units.

The successful shipment of this unit coincides with a critical period for the scaled development of China's CSP industry. National policies aim to achieve a total installed CSP capacity of 15 GW by 2030, with core technologies reaching international leading standards and full self-sufficiency. Dongfang Turbine’s breakthrough not only fills the technological gap for CSP steam turbines in extreme high-altitude environments but also further enhances the localization level of China's CSP equipment, providing core equipment support for the industry's large-scale implementation.

As the core power equipment of the CSP system, this unit will inject strong momentum into the Anduo project, delivering significant energy benefits and environmental value. Upon completion, the project is expected to generate approximately 260 million kWh of electricity annually, saving about 60,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 165,000 tons each year. It will not only effectively strengthen the power supply capacity of the Tibet grid and enhance grid stability but also provide a replicable and scalable technological model for clean energy development in high-altitude regions.

In recent years, Dongfang Turbine has focused on technological iteration in the field of new energy equipment, achieving continuous breakthroughs in mainstream CSP technologies such as tower and trough systems. It has developed R&D and manufacturing capabilities for CSP steam turbines covering multiple scenarios and power levels. The successful development of this high-altitude unit exemplifies the company's technological innovation strength and provides mature equipment support for CSP projects in special regions such as China's "desert-gobi-barren land" bases and high-altitude mountainous areas.

Moving forward, Dongfang Turbine will continue to prioritize technological innovation, deepen its focus on the clean energy equipment sector, refine its R&D system for extreme-environment units, and promote the upgrading of CSP equipment toward higher efficiency, reliability, and intelligence. Leveraging its core technological advantages, the company will contribute more independently developed equipment to China's efforts to build a new power system and achieve the "dual-carbon" goals, helping the CSP industry reach internationally leading standards.

As a small enterprise deeply committed to the steam turbine sector, we are greatly inspired and encouraged by this technological breakthrough. Dongfang Turbine’s robust innovation sets a benchmark for the entire industry in adhering to technological excellence and deepening scenario-specific applications. It also reinforces our direction to focus on niche areas and pursue a "small yet refined" development path. We will actively learn from cutting-edge industry technologies, address the needs of small and medium-power unit scenarios, refine product performance, enhance adaptability, and deepen our efforts in distributed energy and industrial energy efficiency sectors. Through tailored technical services and differentiated strengths, we will collaborate with industry leaders to jointly contribute to the high-quality development of China's clean energy industry.