Construction has been finalized on the world’s largest pumped storage power station, boasting a capacity of 3.6 GW, according to state news outlet China Energy News.
The Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, situated in Hebei province north of Beijing, commenced commercial operations on Sunday with the activation of its twelfth and final reversible turbine unit.
The facility is under the management of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC).
Project Significance and Environmental Benefits
SGCC, in a statement, emphasized that the “PSPP Fengning 2 will be a safe, reliable, environmental[ly] friendly, ecologically harmonious quality project which will benefit Chinese society.”
Construction Timeline and Key Players
The project, originally slated for completion in 2021, saw construction begin in June 2013. Gezhouba Group secured the main contract to build the power station in April 2014.
The station was built in two phases, each with a capacity of 1,800 MW, resulting in a total installed capacity of 3.6 GW.
Each phase involved the construction of six reversible pump-turbine units, each capable of generating 300 MW.
Technological Contributions
In 2017, ANDRITZ Hydro was awarded a contract by state-owned Chinese entities Fengning Pump Storage Co. Ltd. and State Grid Xinyuan Co. Ltd. to provide two variable speed generators for the second phase of the project.
These generators have a nominal capacity of 330 MVA in generator mode and 345 MVA in pump mode.
The contract also encompassed AC excitation, governors, along with protection and computer control systems.
China’s Leadership in Hydropower Development
The International Hydropower Association recognizes China as the global leader in new hydropower development.
In 2023 alone, the country added 6.7 GW of hydropower capacity, including over 6.2 GW of pumped storage. China aims to further expand its pumped storage capacity to 80 GW by 2027 and its total hydropower capacity to 120 GW by 2030.