Ultra-high-voltage electricity transmission in China

Transmission and distribution

On the transmission and distribution side, the country has focused on expanding capacity and reducing losses by:

1. deploying long-distance ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) and ultra-high-voltage alternating current (UHVAC) transmission
2. installing high-efficiency amorphous metal transformers

UHV transmission worldwide

Ultra-high-voltage overhead power lines circuits have long been in use in many parts of the world. For example, 2,362 km of 1,150 kV circuits were built in the former USSR, and 427 km of 1,000 kV AC circuits have been developed in Japan (Kita-Iwaki powerline). Experimental lines of various scales are also found in many countries. However, most of these lines are currently operating at a lower voltage due to insufficient power demand or other reasons.

In 2015, the State Grid Corporation of China proposed the Global Energy Interconnection, a long-term proposal to develop globally integrated smart grids and ultra high voltage transmission networks to connect over 80 countries. The idea is supported by CCP general secretary Xi Jinping and his leadership in his attempt to develop support in various internal forums, including UN bodies.

Reasons for UHV transmission in China

China's focus on UHV transmission is based on the fact that energy resources are far away from the load centers. The majority of the hydropower resources are in the west, and coal is in the northwest, but the main loads, including major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, are in the east and south. To reduce transmission losses to a manageable level, UHV transmission is a logical choice. As the State Grid Corporation of China announced at the 2009 International Conference on UHV Power Transmission in Beijing, China will invest RMB 600 billion (approximately US$88 billion) into UHV development between now and 2020.

Implementation of the UHV grid enables the construction of newer, cleaner, more efficient power generation plants far from population centers. Older power plants along the coast will be retired. This will lower the total current amount of pollution, as well as the pollution felt by citizens within urban dwellings. The use of large central power plants providing electric heating are also less polluting than individual boilers used for winter heating in many northern households. The UHV grid will aid China's plan of electrification and decarbonization, and enable integration of renewable energy by removing the transmission bottleneck that is currently limiting expansions in wind and solar generation capacity whilst further developing the market for long-range electric vehicles in China.

UHV circuits completed or under construction

As of 2023, the operational UHV circuits are:

The under-construction/In preparation UHV lines are:

References

Sources

References

1. "国家统计局".
2. "Homepage - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)".
3. "China electricity industry to reduce coal consumption rate by 2015".
4. Li, Jerry (2008), Deployment of Amorphous Metal Distribution Transformer in China, China Electric Power Yearbook 2008, p. 793–795, China Electric Power Press (In Chinese)
5. Du Z (2008), Study on Strategic Planning of Ultra High Voltage Grid Development in China, Ph.D Thesis, Shandong University (In Chinese)
6. Zhao J, Niu L (2007a), Research and Application of UHVAC Transmission Technologies in Japan Part I, Proceedings of CSU-EPSA, Vol. 19, No. 1, p. 28–33 (In Chinese)
7. Zhao J, Niu L (2007b), Research and Application of UHVAC Transmission Technologies in Japan Part II, Proceedings of CSU-EPSA, Vol. 19, No. 4, P. 1–6 (In Chinese)
8. (September 2009). "From Strong to Smart: the Chinese Smart Grid and its relation with the Globe".
9. UHV Corner, State Grid of China Corporation, http://www.sgcc.com.cn/ztzl/tgyzl/default.shtml (In Chinese)
10. (2014-05-14). "China to build new hi-tech power network to help fight pollution".
11. (2014-06-19). "Column - Super-grid: China masters long-distance power transmission". Reuters.
12. "蒙西 天津南特高压交流输变电工程正式投运".
13. (2020-01-27). "Welcome to State Grid Corporation of China".
14. "均为世界之最！"一交一直"两大特高压工程投运_滚动新闻_中国政府网".
15. "张北—胜利1000千伏特高压交流工程投运--中国能源新闻网".
16. "国家电网武汉—黄石—南昌特高压交流工程投运--中国能源新闻网".
17. "我国西南地区首个特高压交流工程正式开工-北极星火力发电网".
18. "国家电网：陇东—山东±800千伏特高压直流工程竣工投产--经济·科技--人民网".
19. "哈密—重庆±800千伏特高压直流输电工程开工-新华网".
20. 潮娈. ""宁电入湘"工程完成试运行正式向湖南送电_要闻图片_中国政府网".
21. "金上—湖北±800千伏特高压直流输电工程正式向湖北送电-新华网".
22. "陕北—安徽特高压工程、岳西抽蓄电站开工-新华网".
23. "阿坝—成都东1000千伏特高压交流工程正式开工-新华网".
24. "新能源电量占一半以上！世界首条特高压柔性直流工程开工-北极星太阳能光伏网".
25. "瀚海戈壁起宏图 绿电奔腾向未来——柴达木格尔木东沙漠基地电源项目开工活动速写-政务公开-青海省人民政府网".
26. ""西电东送"新通道开建-新华网".
27. "山东电网两项特高压扩建工程开工-北极星输配电网".
28. "首次横跨三大地理阶梯 藏粤直流工程启动建设-新华网".