Recently, as the roar of excavators echoed through the northern foothills of Kunlun Mountain, the construction of the upper reservoir project of the Ruoqiang Pumped Storage Power Station in Xinjiang officially began. This marks the comprehensive entry of the main project into the construction phase, pressing the "acceleration key" for the transformation of energy structure and the construction of a new power system in southern Xinjiang.

The Ruoqiang Pumped Storage Power Station is a key energy project in the national "14th Five Year Plan" and a key project for building a new power system in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. After the power station is completed and put into operation, it will mainly serve the southern Xinjiang power grid, undertaking six major functions of power system peak shaving, valley filling, energy storage, frequency regulation, phase modulation, emergency backup, etc.

The Ruoqiang Pumped Storage Power Station Hub Project mainly consists of four core parts: upper reservoir, lower reservoir, water transmission and power generation system, and underground powerhouse. The upper reservoir project, which started construction this time, serves as the "heart" of the power station, responsible for storing and regulating water resources, and meeting the core functions of pumped storage energy demand of the power station. According to the plan, the total construction period of the upper reservoir project is 56 months, and it is expected to be fully completed by May 2030.

Constructing large reservoirs in the arid and rainless Ruoqiang region, anti-seepage treatment has become a key technical difficulty in engineering. The engineering team has adopted a new type of composite geomembrane anti-seepage system and optimized the design based on local geological conditions to ensure the safety and durability of the reservoir under extreme weather conditions.

According to calculations, after the completion of the power station, it can save about 1.345 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.046 million tons per year, which is equivalent to rebuilding about 220000 acres of forest. These significant energy-saving and emission reduction benefits will effectively promote the clean and low-carbon transformation of Xinjiang's energy structure.

The construction of the Ruoqiang pumped storage power station not only provides important guarantees for the safe and stable operation of the southern Xinjiang power grid, but also injects strong impetus into the local economic and social development. During the project construction period, over 2000 job opportunities will be directly created, driving the development of related industries such as building materials, transportation, and services in the local area. After the completion of the power station, it can contribute stable tax revenue to the local area every year, and attract more high-quality industries to settle down by improving energy infrastructure. Keywords: Hydroelectric New Energy, Hydroelectric New Energy News

With the deepening of the dual carbon target, the construction of the Ruoqiang pumped storage power station is timely. This "super power bank" embedded in the Kunlun Mountains will become an important engine for promoting the optimization and upgrading of Xinjiang's energy structure, providing strong support for building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system.Editor/Cheng Liting