Beijing, December 25 (Reporter Pang Wuji) — The reporter learned from the Three Gorges Group on the 25th that the first generating unit of the Tiantai Pumped Storage Power Station in Zhejiang Province (hereinafter referred to as the Tiantai Pumped Storage Power Station), invested and constructed by the Three Gorges Group, was officially connected to the grid and began generating electricity today.

This unit has a single-unit capacity of 425,000 kilowatts, making it the largest single-unit pumped storage power generation unit currently in China. Its grid connection not only represents another breakthrough in China's hydropower equipment manufacturing, installation, and operation, but also signifies that the East China Grid will gain yet another massive 'power bank' and a 'regulator' for clean energy.

Pumped storage hydroelectricity is known as the 'power bank' of the grid and serves as a key regulating power source for the electric system. Unlike conventional hydropower, pumped storage hydroelectricity features reversible turbine-generator units capable of bidirectional energy conversion. By leveraging the elevation difference between the upper and lower reservoirs, it can pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir during periods of low electricity demand, effectively storing the water’s potential energy. During peak demand periods, this stored potential energy is then converted back into electrical energy to meet user needs.

The main construction of the Tiantai Pumped Storage Power Station officially commenced in May 2022. During the construction process, it achieved three 'firsts' and three 'initials'. These include the world's highest rated head, the largest single-unit capacity for pumped storage units in China, and the longest under-construction diversion adit for pumped storage in China; the hydropower industry’s first large-scale application of domestically produced steel plates and welding materials rated at 1,000 megapascals; the pumped storage industry’s first use of low-heat concrete; and the first implementation of collaborative operations by an intelligent, unmanned machinery fleet for dam construction.

Jing Maogui, head of the Zhejiang Tiantai Pumped Storage Company under China Three Gorges Corporation, stated that as of now, the unit is operating stably, with a vibration amplitude of only 0.05 millimeters—roughly equivalent to the diameter of a human hair—and all performance indicators are excellent.

According to reports, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s pumped-storage hydropower industry has achieved rapid development. The country’s total installed capacity has now exceeded 62 million kilowatts, and its total installed capacity has ranked first in the world for nine consecutive years.

Currently, the total installed capacity of pumped storage projects put into operation and under construction by the Three Gorges Group has reached 21.2 million kilowatts.

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