Abstract: Molten salt heat storage is one of the important technologies for the flexibility modification of coal-fired power plants, but there are few comprehensive technical and economic evaluations on their integrating strategies. In this study, Aspen Plus was used to simulate the system, nine schemes were proposed for the integration of a 315 MW coal- fired power plant and molten salt heat storage unit. Taking the peak shaving performance, thermodynamic performance, power supply coal consumption rate, carbon emission and economy as indicators, the comprehensive evaluation of each heat storage scheme was investigated. The optimal scheme was determined using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution （TOPSIS） method. It was found that in the heat storage process, with increasing the heat storage duty, the peaking and thermodynamic performance of the integrated system was improved, of which extracting the re-heating steam as the heat source led to the highest thermal of the integrated system. In the heat releasing process, the thermodynamic performance of the integrated system deteriorated under higher heat storage duty, of which using the hot molten salt to heat the condensate water at the inlet of No. 2 high pressure heater caused the optimal peaking and thermodynamic performance of the couple system. In terms of economy analysis, the operation and maintenance cost accounted for the highest ratio of the integrated system, and the compensation income of the heat storage unit provided the highest income of the integrated system. Based on the TOPSIS analysis, the optimal integrating scheme was determined as follows: heat storage duty of 20 MW, using reheat steam as heat source in the heat storage process, heating the condensate water at the inlet of No. 2 high pressure heater in heat release process. The relevant research conclusions could provide theoretical and data support for building a coal-fired power plant integrated with molten salt heat storage peaking system.