The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) on Tuesday announced the operation of the ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project linking eastern Xinjiang's Hami with southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. This marks China's third major project to transmit electricity from energy-rich Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to other parts of the country. The transmission line, spanning 2,260 kilometers, originates in Xinjiang, traverses Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan, and terminates in Chongqing. Two new converter stations have been built -- one in Barkol, Xinjiang, and the other in Yubei, Chongqing. With a total investment of 28.6 billion yuan (about 3.9 billion U.S. dollars), the project boasts a transmission capacity of eight million kilowatts.
"The project can provide over 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Chongqing each year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 10 million households. This will strongly support the construction of the large-scale infrastructure and the extensive development and utilization of new energy resources in Xinjiang's sandy and desert areas," said Zhao Jiangtao, an employee at SGCC's UHV Division.
The project is also supported by 14.2 million kilowatts of installed power capacity, including 10.2 million kilowatts from wind, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal sources. New energy accounts for over 70 percent of the total capacity.
Xinjiang serves as a key sending hub in China's west-to-east power transmission program. The new line is expected to deliver more than 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to Chongqing's power load center, significantly enhancing the municipality's energy supply capacity. "The project can support the reliable transmission of over 10 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity in the Hami region. During this year's peak summer demand period, it will effectively guarantee the electricity supply in Chongqing and better ensure national power supply security," said Wang Heng, deputy director of the Electric Power Dispatching and Control Center under State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Company.
New ultra-high voltage project begins operation to deliver power from Xinjiang to Chongqing
