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This post was last edited by HaiChuanLaoYu on 2026-3-1 at 16:59. The \"Several Opinions on Promoting the Large-Scale Development of Concentrated Solar Power Generation\" (Document No. 1645), jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, is a guiding document that marks the shift of China’s concentrated solar power generation industry from experimental stages to large-scale development. It provides a clear roadmap and implementation strategies for the industry’s growth. Against this backdrop, the molten salt valves, which serve as the core control elements of solar thermal power plants, their localization and improved quality have become key factors in reducing costs and increasing efficiency while ensuring safe and stable operation of these plants. As a key component in concentrated solar power generation, molten salt valves are exposed to daily start-up and shutdown cycles, frequent temperature fluctuations during operation, as well as the complex operating conditions resulting from different operational strategies and heat collection methods. At present, the core technology for molten salt valves remains in the hands of a very few foreign brands; not only are the prices high and the delivery times long, but the cost of spare parts is also extremely high. Although domestic molten salt valves have made progress in terms of application, they generally suffer from issues such as a short operational lifespan and insufficient technical expertise. Coupled with low-price competition in the market, their potential risks cannot be ignored. The problem lies not only in the possible extension of the system debugging period by one or two months, or even longer – this is merely the beginning of the challenges ； The performance degradation after commissioning, the frequent failures, and the resulting high maintenance costs are far greater than the savings achieved during the bidding process; ultimately, the cost savings have to be repaid at a cost many times higher. To meet the demands of the scaled development of the concentrated solar power generation industry, molten salt valves need to overcome the following key challenges at their core. First, the reliability of molten salt valves in critical locations must be improved; failures of these valves can lead to system shutdowns, and their reliability is directly related to the overall operational safety of the power plant. For example, downflow control valves used in molten salt systems commonly face industry-related issues such as high pressure differences, poor flow regulation accuracy, difficulties in controlling the pressure difference downstream of the valve, significant operational vibration, and severe salt leakage. There is an urgent need for mature and reliable solutions to be developed through extensive practical testing over a long period of time, in order to prevent unplanned system shutdowns caused by valve failures. II. Strengthening the safety barrier to address safety risks under extreme operating conditions: Special attention must be paid to the safety issues related to molten salt valves in certain locations. Taking the check valve at the cold pump outlet as an example, in the event of a sudden shutdown of the pump, the impact force generated by the large pressure difference behind the valve theoretically poses a risk of the valve cover being ejected. Although the probability of occurrence is extremely low, given the requirement for intrinsically safe operations in solar thermal power plants, such risks must be completely eliminated through measures such as structural optimization, material upgrades, and redundant design.