The first national large-scale pumped storage power station in Shenzhen started operations with the completion of its last sets on Sept 25.
With an estimated investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($720.37 million), the station has an installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts. The average annual generating capacity is designed to be 1.51 billion kw-hours designated for peak tuning, grain filling, frequency and phase adjustment and emergency standby tasks.
The station is expected to save about 158,000 tons of standard coal, 18,300 tons of natural gas and 2,717.28 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Located between Yantian district and Longgang district of Shenzhen, the station is about 20 kilometers away from the city center and 25 kilometers from Hong Kong, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant,as well as Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station, which will optimize Shenzhen's power supply structure and reduce transmission costs.
The station can meet nearly one-third of peak demand of the Shenzhen power grid and helps to improve the operating conditions of nuclear power and thermal power.
Also, the station can aid in relieving the load pressure of the Shenzhen and Hong Kong power grids through using clean power from western China.
The storage power station is a key construction project in the national development plan of renewable energy. It is the main item in the West-to-East power transmission project and a link in the power grid between Guangdong province and Hong Kong.
The lower reservoir of the station was formed by the expansion of the causeway path reservoir in cooperation with local water authorities to provide water for cities, a comprehensive utilization of water resources, according to the China Southern Power Grid, the investment company of the station.
The station has also adopted the sewage separation and drainage system to ensure environmental protection, the company said.
Keeping in mind environmental protection, the company has also optimized the layout of the station's construction by preserving as much woodland as possible.
In addition, the company equipped environmental protection facilities during the construction of the station, paving a way for Shenzhen to develop industrial tourism.
The fourth storage power station of the China Southern Power Grid in Guangdong province, the station is also the first homemade such station, representing an accumulation of rich experience in design and operation.