Work begins on $1.76 bln power station

A view of the booth of GCL during an expo in Shanghai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Full-scale construction has begun on East China's largest pumped storage power station, with power generation scheduled to start before 2030, said its operator GCL Energy Technology Co Ltd.

The project in Zhejiang province entails a total investment of about 12.5 billion yuan ($1.76 billion), and is the largest clean energy project invested by GCL Energy Technology.

It is expected to further advance the development of the clean energy industry in East China, driving local economic development while ensuring the stable operation of the new power system in the country, it said.

Located near the load center of the East China power grid, the power station will be equipped with six reversible hydro-generators, each with a capacity of 400,000 kilowatts, bringing the total installed capacity to 2.4 million kW, making it the largest such station in the region.

Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, said the project will substantially promote the large-scale development and utilization of new energy in East China.

The project is poised to enhance the region's energy mix and solidify its leadership in renewable energy adoption, playing a key role in peak-load regulation, energy storage and grid stability for the East China power grid, he said.

This power station will further contribute to the construction of Zhejiang's new energy supply and consumption system, injecting strong momentum into local economic and social development, he said.

It is expected to generate an average of 2.52 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, save about 480,000 metric tons of standard coal each year, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 960,000 tons.

As an efficient and flexible peak-shaving power source, pumped storage can use excess electricity during off-peak hours to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper one and release the water to generate power during peak demand.

China's power storage capacity, fueled by rapid advances in the renewable energy industry, innovative technologies and ambitious government policies, has been developing at a rapid pace in recent years.

By the first half of this year, the installed capacity of clean energy in Zhejiang reached 71.18 million kW, surpassing thermal power for the first time and accounting for 52 percent of the total capacity, a significant change in the province's energy structure.

The pumped storage power station in Zhejiang is not only a major project requiring intensive technology and capital, but also a critical measure in transforming the energy structure and promoting green, low-carbon development, said Zhu Gongshan, chairman of GCL Group.