GE Hydro Solutions is supplying four new 300MW pumped storage turbines to one of the divisions of State Grid XinYuan in China.
The agreement with Anhui Jinzhai Pumped Storage Power Company, includes generator-motors as well as the balance of plant equipment for the Anhui Jinzhai Pumped Storage power plant located in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province.
The first two units have been delivered to the project, have passed the trial operation period, and are now connected to the grid.
The 1.2GW project will play a role to help China achieve its goal to build more than 200 pumped storage stations with a combined capacity of 270GW by 2025 (Bloomberg).
The project’s annual generating capacity represents about 1.4 times the annual household electricity consumption in Jinzhai.
Acting as a sustainable large-scale energy storage system, the Jinzhai Pumped Storage station will save up to 89,500 tonnes of coal and reduce 179,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
The pumped storage units will act as giant batteries that will help solve grid stability challenges for the province: water is pumped from the lower to the upper reservoir in times of surplus energy and, in times of demand, water from the upper reservoir is released, generating electricity as the water passes through the turbine.
Pascal Radue, President and CEO, GE Hydro Solutions, said: “Once the project is fully commissioned, the giant 1.2GW hydro battery will offer a high level of flexibility and reliability to the local power grid.
“This demonstrates pumped storage Solutions’ ability to solve some of the biggest challenges linked to the energy transition, in China and beyond.”