Amidst the towering mountains of Shaanxi and Sichuan, two future 'power grid regulators' have quietly taken a crucial step forward. At the beginning of 2025, Northwest Institute and Chengdu Institute under China Power Construction Group won the bid for the survey and design work of two major pumped storage power stations, Ningshanbei and Seda Daze, respectively. The total investment of the project is expected to reach 21.86 billion yuan. This is not only the starting point of the two major projects, but also an important milestone in China's strategic layout for building a new type of power system.

Deeply cultivating regional advantages, Electric Power Construction Double Institute takes on the design responsibility

This launch is the preliminary survey and design stage of the project, which, although not yet large-scale civil engineering, determines the future technical blueprint and construction path of the power station. Northwest Survey and Design Institute of China Electric Power Construction Group won the bid for the feasibility study stage survey and design task of Ningshanbei Pumped Storage Power Station with a quotation of 256 million yuan; Chengdu Survey, Design and Research Institute, on the other hand, will undertake the survey and design work of the Gaodongda Daze Power Station for 215 million yuan.

This stage is known as the vanguard of engineering construction, and the design team will complete a large amount of basic work such as geological exploration, scheme comparison, and technical demonstration in the next one to two years. China Power Construction Corporation has a deep accumulation in this field, and its subordinate design institutes have formed a collaborative model of specialized division of labor and regional layout. The Northwest Institute is proficient in dealing with special geological conditions such as the Loess Plateau, while the Chengdu Institute is deeply involved in the protection of complex geological and ecological environments in the southwest, ensuring the provision of the most suitable technical solutions for projects with different characteristics.

Investment drives development, project significance far exceeds energy itself

For the revolutionary old areas of northern Shaanxi and the western Sichuan plateau region, these two major projects mean multiple benefits far exceeding 21.86 billion yuan in direct investment. During the construction period, the project will create a large number of job opportunities; After being put into operation, it will continue to contribute tax revenue to local finance.

More importantly, the power station will greatly improve the quality of the local power grid and provide stable and reliable energy security for the subsequent industrial development of the region. Especially in areas with abundant wind and solar resources, pumped storage can effectively mitigate the volatility and intermittency of new energy generation. After the completion of the project, it has the potential to become a new landmark for industrial tourism and popular science education, thereby driving the coordinated development of the surrounding service industry.

Escort energy transformation, strategic layout supports dual carbon goals

In the context of the current energy structure transformation, the construction of pumped storage power stations has special strategic significance. With the rapid increase in the proportion of new energy such as wind power and photovoltaics in China's power structure, the demand for flexible and reliable regulation resources in the power grid is becoming increasingly urgent. Pumped storage, as the most mature and economical large-scale energy storage technology currently available, is ushering in a period of development opportunities.

The Ningshan North and Seda Daze projects are the specific implementation of China's 14th Five Year Plan for pumped storage development. They are expected to be put into operation around 2028, significantly enhancing the peak shaving capacity of the regional power grid, promoting the consumption of new energy, and ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power system. From a broader perspective, this is a key measure for China to build a new type of power system and achieve its dual carbon goals. Keywords: Energy Storage Latest News, Energy Storage New Energy News

When these two green power banks are put into operation in the future, they will stand still among the mountains, accumulate power during low electricity consumption periods, empower during peak hours, silently safeguard the safety of the power grid, and support the stable future of China's energy transformation. Editor/Yang Beihua