Retrofitting coal-fired power plants for grid energy storage by coupling with thermal energy storage

This paper examines a retrofit strategy that converts coal-fired power plants into grid-scale energy storage facilities by integrating molten salt thermal energy storage (TES). Instead of burning coal, the boiler is replaced with an electrically heated molten salt storage system that stores excess electricity from the grid and later generates steam to drive the existing turbine cycle. The study evaluates the thermodynamic performance and operational characteristics of this configuration for supercritical coal power plants. Results show that repurposing coal plants with TES can provide large-scale, flexible energy storage while reusing existing infrastructure such as turbines, steam cycles, and grid connections, supporting renewable energy integration.