Gansu speeds up the construction of "large transmission end" UHV channel

China Energy Storage Network News: Gansu Power Grid is the central hub of the Northwest Power Grid. To realize the large market, large circulation and large circulation of new energy, it is urgent to accelerate the construction of UHV transmission channels. It is expected that by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, Gansu's inter-provincial exchange capacity will exceed 50 million kilowatts, and the annual transmission power will exceed 100 billion kilowatt-hours.

The National Energy Administration recently issued a "Letter on Clarifying Gansu as the Sending-End Province for "External Power into Zhejiang"", officially clarifying Gansu Province as the sending-end province for "External Power into Zhejiang". The second ultra-high voltage direct current project in Hexi, Gansu will be located in Zhejiang, and will be simultaneously included in the "National 14th Five-Year Plan" Electricity Plan.

Gansu, located in the northwest of my country, is connected to Shaanxi in the east, Xinjiang in the west, Sichuan and Qinghai in the south, and Ningxia and Inner Mongolia in the north. Its special geographical location makes Gansu power grid the central hub of the northwest power grid. Its ultra-high voltage "power highway" has shaped the growth pole of Gansu's new energy export and provided strategic support for the export of clean energy in the northwest.

According to the "Gansu Province's 14th Five-Year Plan for Energy Development", Gansu will add 57.67 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and the total installed capacity of wind and solar new energy will reach 81.22 million kilowatts by 2025. The high proportion of new energy grid connection has brought great challenges to the access and transmission of Gansu's power grid. It is urgent to accelerate the construction of UHV channels, strengthen inter-provincial cross-section connections, improve the main grid within the province, and strengthen the mutual assistance and interconnection capabilities of inter-provincial power grids in the northwest region.

Transmitting green electricity to 20 provinces and cities

Gansu is rich in wind and solar energy resources, with technically exploitable amounts of 560 million kilowatts and 9.5 billion kilowatts respectively. It is one of the important Gobi Desert large-scale wind power and photovoltaic base construction areas in my country. Gansu is also an important transmission corridor for the national "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy, with 4 UHV DC lines running across the east and west, and 18 inter-provincial 750 kV lines connecting the four provinces of Shaanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. As the "big sender" of wind and solar resources, Gansu, taking advantage of the interconnection of large power grids, delivered 51.7 billion kWh of electricity to 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) last year.

In accordance with the principle of "connecting as many new energy sources as possible", Gansu Power Grid connected 85 new energy stations to the grid in 2021. In December 2021 alone, 64 new energy stations were connected to the grid, setting a record for the number of grid connections in a single month since the commissioning of Gansu's new energy. Data provided to reporters by State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company (hereinafter referred to as "Gansu Power") showed that relying on the State Grid's large platform to optimize the configuration of new energy, Gansu's new energy power generation in 2021 was 44.6 billion kWh and the utilization rate was 96.83%, both of which set historical records.

As of the end of 2021, Gansu's total installed power capacity is 61.5238 million kilowatts, of which wind and solar power installed capacity is 28.9654 million kilowatts, accounting for 47.08%, making renewable energy the largest power source. This year, Gansu is expected to add 14 million kilowatts of renewable energy installed capacity, and by the end of the year, the installed capacity of renewable energy will exceed 42 million kilowatts, accounting for 58%.

Many industry insiders said in interviews that it is expected that by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Gansu's installed capacity of new energy will exceed 80 million kilowatts. In the case of a limited electricity market within the province, Gansu needs to realize a large market, large circulation, and large circulation of new energy and enhance its clean electricity transmission capacity. It is urgently necessary to accelerate the construction of UHV transmission channels and optimize the allocation of Gansu's new energy across the country.

Zhang Guangdong, director of the High Voltage Technology Research Institute of Gansu Electric Power Research Institute, said in an interview with reporters that my country's energy resource endowment and economic development level are inversely distributed. The distance between energy production bases in the western and northern regions and energy consumption centers in the eastern and central regions is between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometers, which objectively determines that energy needs to be transported on a large scale and over long distances. At present, a new round of energy revolution with green and low-carbon as the direction is booming around the world. UHV, as an important way to solve cross-regional and large-scale energy flows, is an important way to accelerate my country's energy transformation, promote clean development, and ensure energy security. It is a strategic measure that achieves multiple goals at one stroke.

The construction of UHV transmission channels is accelerating

In accordance with the requirements of the "Gansu Province's 14th Five-Year Plan for Energy Development", Gansu Province will cooperate with the construction of the national "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategic channel, implement the UHV power transmission channel project, and combine the construction of the Longdong Comprehensive Energy Base to promote the construction of the Longdong to Shandong ±800 kV UHV transmission project, carry out an integrated demonstration of "wind, solar, fire and storage", and gradually realize the transformation of the power grid from a single power transmission network to a green resource optimization allocation platform.

"The Longdong to Shandong UHV project has been included in the National 14th Five-Year Electricity Plan and the Outline of the Yellow River Basin Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development Plan. At present, we are actively cooperating in the feasibility study of the project. It is expected to apply for approval in the first half of the year, start construction within the year, and be completed and put into operation in the middle of the 14th Five-Year Plan." Gansu Power revealed.

The reporter learned from the relevant government departments of Gansu Province that Gansu will also plan and layout UHV DC transmission projects mainly for the transmission of new energy in Jinchang, Zhangye, Wuwei and Jiuquan in Hexi, to provide support for the development and export of clean energy bases in Hexi. In addition, with the UHV DC transmission channel of the Northwest Power Grid as a carrier, Gansu will increase power cooperation with the central and eastern provinces, gradually expand the amount of electricity exported, and plan new UHV DC transmission projects.

"Taking advantage of the country's promotion of the construction of large-scale wind and solar power bases focusing on deserts, Gobi and wasteland areas, we have accelerated the progress of preliminary work such as the pre-feasibility study of the Hexi Second DC Project, and cooperated with the Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission to prepare the implementation plan for the Tengger Desert Base. We strive to submit it for approval within the year and start construction in 2023. We are also carrying out planning research on the Jiuquan Second DC Project to promote the inclusion of the project in the national power plan and strive for early approval and construction." Gansu Power revealed.

It is understood that this year, Gansu Power plans to invest 10.064 billion yuan to accelerate the construction of UHV transmission channels, implement three 750 kV power grid projects and eight 330 kV projects, and coordinate the development of urban and rural distribution networks. It is expected that by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, Gansu will have 25 inter-provincial communication channels with an exchange capacity of over 50 million kilowatts, and the annual power transmission will exceed 100 billion kilowatt-hours.

Give full play to the pivotal role of the "four companies in the center"

At present, Gansu has become an important transmission corridor for the national "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy. Four ultra-high voltage direct current lines (Hami South-Zhengzhou, Jungar-South Anhui, Jiuquan-Hunan, Qinghai-Henan) have been formed throughout the territory, and 18 inter-provincial 750 kV lines are connected to the four provinces and regions of Shaanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Its hub status as "sitting in the center and connecting four regions" in the Northwest power grid is highlighted.

It cannot be ignored that most of the UHV DC transmission points in Northwest China are at the weak end of the Northwest power grid, and the system solution is complex, which will face severe challenges to the grid's carrying capacity. To this end, not long ago, the National Energy Administration launched a study and demonstration of the "three cross-regional and nine direct" and other cross-provincial and cross-regional transmission channels and supporting power supply integration solutions. It is expected that by the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan", the scale of Northwest power transmission will exceed 100 million kilowatts.

Industry insiders interviewed believe that under the background of carbon peak, carbon neutrality and the construction of a new power system, new energy in the northwestern provinces will usher in a new round of large-scale base development opportunities. The development of ultra-high voltage in Gansu Province is of great significance for the northwest region to achieve green and low-carbon energy transformation, promote large-scale development and utilization of clean energy, promote large-scale optimization of energy resources, and prevent and control air pollution.