On June 15, 2023, the first pumped storage power station under construction in northwest China - Shaanxi Zhen'an Pumped-storage hydroelectricity lower reservoir area has passed the water storage acceptance.

Shaanxi Zhen'an Pumped-storage hydroelectricity is a Megaproject serving the revitalization of the old revolutionary base area and promoting the implementation of the western development strategy. The total investment is 8.851 billion yuan, the installed capacity is 1.4 million kilowatts, and four 350000 kilowatt reversible pump turbine generator units are installed. The design annual power generation is 2.34 billion kilowatt hours, and the annual pumped power is 3.121 billion kilowatt hours.

It is reported that the power station hub project mainly consists of buildings such as an upper reservoir, a lower reservoir, a water conveyance system, an underground powerhouse, and a switching station. The pumped storage power station is known as the super power bank. After its completion, it mainly serves the Northwest Power Grid, playing six major functions such as peak shaving, frequency regulation, phase modulation, energy storage, system backup, and black start, becoming an important support point for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the Northwest region. It is expected that all four units will be put into operation by December 2024. Editor/Xie Li