China Three Gorges (CTG) said it has begun construction of the 1.7 GW Tiantai pumped storage power station in Zhajiang Province.
The station, located in Tiantai County, is a major project of the Medium and Long-term Development Plan for Pumped Storage (2021-2035) included in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The powerhouse will contain four 425 MW reversible hydraulic generators. CTG said the pumped storage station features the world’s highest rated hydraulic head, but no specific number was released.
Upon completion, the Tiantai station will mainly provide peak load regulation, valley filling, frequency regulation, phase modulation, power storage and emergency use for Zhejiang’s power grid, as well as offer flexible dispatching capacity for the East China Grid.
CTG expects to record annual output of 1.7 billion kWh, cutting coal consumption by about 520,000 tons and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 1.04 million tons for Zhejiang’s grid power system. The plant is expected to promote the development of local green and low-carbon adoption and help to optimize the local energy structure, CTG said. The plant also is expected to improve local infrastructure, contributing to economic development.
CTG was founded in 2009 to build the Three Gorges Project and develop the Yangtze River. CTG is a clean energy group focusing on large-scale hydropower development and operation. By the end of 2016 (the most recent data released), CTG’s consolidated installed capacity had reached about 70 GW and total installed capacity — including capacities commissioned, under construction and on a minority-equity basis — had reached 118 GW. Renewable clean energy accounts for 97% of the total mix, while consolidated hydropower capacity represents 16% of the total installed capacity of hydro in China. In addition, CTG’s overseas investment and contracting business includes more than 40 countries in Europe, America, Africa and Southeast Asia, with a total installed capacity of over 15 GW.