2nd phase of Meizhou power station goes operational to bolster clean energy supply to Greater Bay Area

The second phase of the Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station in south China's Guangdong Province went operational on Friday, further bolstering the clean energy supply while expediting the green transition of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Located in Wuhua County, Meizhou City of south China's Guangdong Province, the Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station has a total investment of approximately 12 billion yuan (about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars), making it the largest pumped storage power station investment in the GBA so far.

The station's first phase boasts a total storage capacity of 92 million cubic meters, equivalent to the water volume of 6.5 West Lakes in east China's Zhejiang Province. The second-phase project is equipped with four 300-megawatt units, adding a regulation capacity of 1.2 gigawatts.

"After the project becomes operational, the Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station can absorb up to 7.2 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 3.28 million residential customers. Its clean energy integration capacity leads domestically among pumped storage power stations of similar scale," said Zhu Jinhua, project manager of Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station Phase II, China Southern Power Grid Energy Storage Co., Ltd.

The power station is also one of the most "localized" of its kind in China, using domestically developed equipment for its main unit and control systems, making a critical step in advancing the upgrade of domestic pumped storage equipment towards higher-end manufacturing.

"The power station utilizes domestic equipment on a large scale, including 115 types of key technical components and over 500 domestic control chips. Important domestic equipment like complete switchgear and air compressors are also being applied in a domestic project for the first time," said Chen Hongyu, lead technical expert of China Southern Power Grid Energy Storage Co., Ltd.

2nd phase of Meizhou power station goes operational to bolster clean energy supply to Greater Bay Area

China has stepped up efforts to promote the implementation of its multiple key marine ecological protection projects since the beginning of this year, with a balance between marine ecological protection and marine economic development.

In the waters off Weizhou Island in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, coral colonies cultivated through ecological restoration projects have successfully achieved large-scale natural spawning for the first time this year. The milestone indicates that a complete ecological self-recovery system has been established in the artificially restored marine area.

Across the country, the pace of construction on major ecological projects, including the Blue Bay environmental improvement initiative and coral reef restoration efforts, has accelerated since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, pilot projects of the Harmonious and Beautiful Islands program have advanced steadily, with the first batch of 33 islands covered by the program taking shape as models of green landscapes, clean shores, clear waters and abundant marine life.

The improved health of coastal ecosystems is now fueling growth in emerging marine industries.

"From January to April, China's marine economy achieved innovation-driven and high-quality development. Marine passenger traffic and passenger turnover increased by 7.3 percent and 11.1 percent year on year, respectively. Several marine-derived medicines have also gained approval for clinical trials. Next, we will remain committed to protecting our country's blue seas and coastlines, and further strengthen the blue foundation for sustainable use of marine resources," said Meng Qinglei, deputy director of the Department of Marine Strategy, Planning and Economy at the Ministry of Natural Resources.

China achieves balanced development of marine ecology, economy