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China Connects 1-Gigawatt Hybrid Solar Plant in Gobi Desert to Grid; Oil Shipments Blocked in Strait of Hormuz
China Three Gorges Corporation linked its hybrid solar facility in Xinjiang to the grid in July 2026 and began commercial trial operations. The plant pairs photovoltaic and concentrated solar with molten-salt storage that supplies power for up to eight hours after sunset.
Jul 15, 4:00 PM·1m read1 source
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China Three Gorges Corporation connected a 1-gigawatt hybrid solar power plant in the Gobi Desert in Xinjiang to the grid in July 2026. Commercial trial operations began the same month. The facility combines photovoltaic solar panels, concentrated solar power, and a molten-salt thermal storage system.
The storage component can deliver electricity for up to eight hours after sunset. The plant does not use lithium-ion batteries. OilPrice.com reported that the launch occurs while one-fifth of global crude oil and gas trade has been blocked in the Strait of Hormuz since March.
Asian markets were the primary buyers of those shipments. David Frykman, General Partner at Norrsken, wrote in an earlier Fortune op-ed that wind and solar cannot be embargoed, blockaded, or shut off by a foreign power.
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