On November 30, 2023, the Pingchuan Pumped Storage Power Station project in Gansu Province was approved by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, marking the basic completion of the preliminary work of the project and officially entering the countdown phase of construction.

The Pingchuan Pumped Storage Power Station Project is a key implementation project identified in the National Medium - and Long Term Development Plan for Pumped Storage (2021-2035) during the 14th Five Year Plan period, and is also the seventh approved pumped storage power station project during the 14th Five Year Plan period in Gansu. The project is located in Zhongtian Township, Pingchuan District, Baiyin City, with a total investment of 9.97 billion yuan and a total installed capacity of 1180 megawatts. It will install four reversible water pump units with a single unit capacity of 295 megawatts. The designed full utilization hours are 6 hours, with an annual power generation of 2 billion kilowatt hours and an annual pumping capacity of 2.721 billion million hours. The first unit is planned to be put into operation in 2028 and all will be completed by 2029.

Since the 14th Five Year Plan period, with the rapid development of new energy in Gansu, the demand for various regulatory power sources in the power system has rapidly increased. Pumped storage, as the most mature technology, optimal economy, and most suitable for large-scale development at present, can play an important role in ensuring the safety of the power grid and promoting the consumption of new energy. It is an important component of building a new type of power system and an important support for serving the "dual carbon" goal.

In order to accelerate the early progress of pumped storage projects, State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company has established a flexible team for pumped storage, collaborated to establish a special team at the provincial and municipal levels, and established a daily tracking, weekly control, and monthly supervision mechanism to jointly promote the orderly implementation of projects. State Grid Baiyin Power Supply Company, as a member unit, actively connects with governments at all levels, project owners, and consulting and design units, follows up on the progress of the project on a weekly basis, opens up a "green channel" for electricity use, actively helps project owners solve difficulties and problems, and promotes the completion of preliminary procedures for the project in just 7 months, successfully achieving the annual target. Editor/Zhao E