New power system helps Hebei save energy

A large-scale pumped storage hydropower station began full operations in Chengde, North China's Hebei province, on Tuesday, marking a major step in accelerating the construction of a new-type power system in the province.

The Fengning Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Station, the largest of its kind in the world in terms of installed capacity, was put into full use after the last of its 12 units began commercial operations on Tuesday morning.

The station has set four world records in terms of installed capacity, energy storage capacity, scale of underground powerhouses and scale of underground cavern groups.

With a total installed capacity of 3.6 million kilowatts and an annual designed electricity generation capacity of over 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours, the hydropower station can meet the annual electricity consumption of about 2.6 million households, according to the State Grid Xinyuan Hebei Fengning Pumped Storage Co.

A pumped storage hydroelectric power station is a type of energy storage system that works by pumping water from a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir during times of low energy demand, and then releasing the stored water to generate electricity during periods of high demand.

These power stations play a key role in balancing the electricity grid, providing the means to store excess energy for later use and helping to stabilize the overall power system.

Since its planning in 1995, the station has systematically adopted key construction technologies for super large underground caverns under complex geological conditions, ensuring a steady supply of green electricity to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Except for the station, a number of pumped storage energy projects are moving forward rapidly in Hebei.

The province's total planned construction scale of pumped storage energy has reached 29.97 million kilowatts, with approved and grid-connected installed capacity ranking at the forefront nationwide, according to the Hebei Development and Reform Commission.

zhangyu1@chinadaily.com.cn