Recently, the Yunnan Provincial Public Resource Trading Center released a bid announcement for the main project of Xichou Pumped Storage Power Station. The consortium led by China Electric Power Construction Group East China Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Electric Power Jianhua East Institute") successfully won the bid, with a bid amount of 8.035 billion yuan. As a key project in Yunnan Province's "14th Five Year Plan" for energy development, the landing of Xichou Pumped Storage Power Station not only fills the gap in the pumped storage field in Wenshan Prefecture, but also becomes a key support for the construction of a new power system in the southwest region. It is expected that after full operation and power generation in 2029, the annual power generation capacity can reach 1.2 billion kilowatt hours.

From the perspective of project planning, the Xichou Pumped Storage Power Station is located in Xingjie Town, Xichou County, Wenshan Prefecture, with a total installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts and a total of 4 sets of 300000 kilowatt reversible water turbine generators installed. It adopts the classic layout of "upper reservoir+lower reservoir+water conveyance system+underground powerhouse". The normal water level of the upper reservoir is 1520 meters, with a total storage capacity of 19.86 million cubic meters; The normal water level of the lower reservoir is 1150 meters, with a total storage capacity of 20.38 million cubic meters and a drop of 370 meters between the upper and lower reservoirs. It has multiple functions such as peak shaving and valley filling, frequency and phase modulation, and emergency backup. The scope of this bid includes the construction of the main project of the power station, the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment, and the construction of supporting infrastructure. China Electric Power Construction East China Institute will be responsible for the overall project general contracting. Its construction experience in large-scale pumped storage power stations such as Changlongshan in Zhejiang and Jinzhai in Anhui will provide technical support for the project landing.

The project construction will deeply integrate the concepts of "green construction" and "smart construction". During the construction phase, unmanned aerial vehicle surveying and BIM 3D modeling technology will be used to optimize the construction plan. Traditional blasting operations will be replaced by tunnel shield machines to reduce ecological damage to the surrounding karst landforms; At the same time, establish an "ecological monitoring ledger" to dynamically protect rare plants and groundwater resources in the construction area, ensuring synchronous progress of engineering construction and ecological protection. It is worth noting that the power station will also be equipped with a 50000 kilowatt photovoltaic power station and energy storage system, forming a complementary model of "pumped storage+photovoltaic", further enhancing the clean energy consumption capacity, and helping Yunnan build an integrated energy base of "wind, solar, water and storage".

From the perspective of regional development value, the construction of Xichou pumped storage power station will bring multiple dividends. The construction period is expected to drive employment for more than 2000 local people and promote the upgrading of infrastructure such as roads, water supply, and power supply in surrounding towns and villages; After being put into operation, it can save 360000 tons of standard coal and reduce 900000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, providing important support for Yunnan to achieve its "dual carbon" goals. In addition, the power station will also participate in electricity spot market transactions to stabilize electricity price fluctuations during Yunnan's wet and dry seasons, ensure stable industrial electricity consumption, and provide energy security for the development of characteristic industries such as aluminum and indium in Wenshan Prefecture.

At present, the preliminary preparations for the project have come to an end. The consortium of East China Institute of Electric Power Construction has established a special project department to complete on-site geological survey and construction access planning. It is expected to officially start construction in the first quarter of 2025. With the advancement of Xichou pumped storage power station, the construction of pumped storage power stations in Yunnan will enter an "acceleration period". As of the end of 2024, Yunnan has built and put into operation two pumped storage power stations in Luquan and Haikou, with six projects under construction or to be built, and a total installed capacity of over 10 million kilowatts. In the future, it will become the largest pumped storage cluster in Southwest China, providing a "Yunnan sample" for the construction of new power systems nationwide.Editor/Bian Wenjun