Hydropower

China completes the world’s largest pumped storage station

China completes the world’s largest pumped storage station
The Fengning pumped storage hydropower plant in Hebei province (courtesy: State Grid Corporation of China)

Work has been completed on the world’s largest pumped storage station, at 3.6 GW, according to state news source China Energy News. The Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station in Hebei province, north of Beijing, started commercial operations Sunday on its twelfth and final reversible turbine unit. The facility is operated by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC).

“PSPP Fengning 2 will be a safe, reliable, environmental[ly] friendly, ecologically harmonious quality project which will benefit Chinese society,” said SGCC in a statement.

Originally scheduled for completion in 2021, construction on the project began in June 2013. In April 2014, Gezhouba Group was awarded the main contract to build the power station, which was constructed in two 1,800 MW phases, amounting to 3.6 GW of installed capacity. Each phase consisted of building six reversible pump-turbine units with a capacity of 300 MW apiece.

In 2017, ANDRITZ Hydro received a contract from the state-owned Chinese energy utility company Fengning Pump Storage Co. Ltd. and State Grid Xinyuan Co. Ltd. to supply two variable speed generators for PSPP Fengning 2. The units have a nominal capacity of 330 MVA in generator mode and 345 MVA in pump mode. AC excitation, governors, and protection and computer control systems are also part of the contract.

According to the International Hydropower Association, China leads the world in new hydropower development. In 2023 alone, the country brought 6.7 GW of capacity into service, including more than 6.2 GW of pumped storage. China intends to expand its pumped storage capacity to 80 GW by 2027 and total hydropower capacity to 120 GW by 2030.

Originally published in Hydro Review.