China Just Connected the World's Biggest Hybrid Solar Plant to the Grid

China Just Connected the World's Biggest Hybrid Solar Plant to the Grid By Haley Zaremba - Jul 15, 2026, 3:00 PM CDT CTG's 1-gigawatt Gobi Desert plant pairs photovoltaic and concentrated solar with molten salt storage that keeps producing power for up to eight hours after sunset. The project skips lithium-ion batteries entirely, sidestepping the four-hour storage ceiling and the supply chain baggage that comes with lithium. The launch lands as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted, sharpening the case for renewables as a source no foreign power can shut off.