The salt gradient solar pond is a kind of large area of saline water that can simultaneously absorb and store solar energy in the thermal energy. It has attracted widespread attention from researchers due to its advantages such as long-term heat storage, large heat storage capacity, and the ability to provide a stable and clean low-temperature heat source. Traditional salt gradient solar pond stores thermal energy by sensible heat of the saline water, and the thermal storage density is limited. The application of salt gradient salt gradient solar ponds is very extensive. It can directly utilize the heat of salt gradient solar pond and provide a stable low-temperature heat source for industry, agriculture, and daily life. The thermal energy of the salt gradient solar pond can also be used for thermoelectric conversion to provide electricity for various fields. This work first analyzes the key factors affecting the heat storage performance of salt gradient solar pond, the methods to improve the thermal storage performance of salt gradient solar pond, compares and analyzes various heat extraction methods of salt gradient solar pond. Then, the application of salt gradient solar pond in the field of power generation at domestic and abroad is introduced, and the research of salt gradient solar pond power generation technology is summarized and analyzed, aims to provide references for the construction, operation, maintenance of salt gradient solar pond and also the application in power generation.