Amidst the mountains and waters of Wulong, Chongqing, a super "power bank" project with a total investment of approximately 7.296 billion yuan and a total installed capacity of 1200 megawatts is currently experiencing intense bidding and construction. Recently, Datang Yinpan Chongqing Pumped Storage Co., Ltd. has successively released bidding notices for the general contracting of the construction of the owner's camp project and the upper reservoir and water diversion upper level tunnel section project, marking the transition of Datang Group's key energy project from the early preparation stage to the substantive construction stage of multi link parallel promotion, laying a solid foundation for the goal of the first unit connected to the grid for power generation by 2030.

Project Overview: Key Support for Chongqing Power Grid

The Wulong Yinpan Pumped Storage Power Station is a key new type of power system supporting project planned during the 14th Five Year Plan period in Chongqing. It is invested and constructed by Chongqing Datang International Wulong Hydropower Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Datang Corporation, and serves as the project legal representative. The total investment of the project is about 7.296 billion yuan, and the total construction period is about 7 years (from March 2025 to June 2032). It is planned to install 4 reversible units with a single capacity of 300 megawatts, mainly responsible for key tasks such as peak shaving, valley filling, energy storage, and frequency regulation of Chongqing power grid. It is expected to achieve the first unit grid connected power generation by 2030, and all units will be put into operation by 2032. The project was approved by the Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission in February 2025 and obtained a water intake permit, with a solid compliance foundation.

Intensive bidding: synchronized launch of core projects and supporting construction

The recent intensive bidding activities are a clear signal that the project has entered an acceleration period. The bidding for the civil engineering of the core upper reservoir and water diversion upper level tunnel section has started on November 19th, with a planned construction period from March 2026 to December 2030. Following closely behind, the owner's camp project, which serves as the "rear line" of project operation, released a general contracting tender on December 2nd. Its construction standards not only meet the office and living needs of a large number of personnel during the construction period, but also take into account the management and supporting facilities for the long-term operation of the power station, covering the entire content from the main structure and decoration to central air conditioning, underfloor heating, rooftop photovoltaics, intelligence, and landscape greening. In just over ten days, two key targets were simultaneously promoted, demonstrating the efficient and comprehensive construction pace of the project.

Strategic layout: Empowering regional energy integration development

The construction of the Wulong project carries deeper strategic significance beyond a single power station. Chongqing has previously built a 1200 MW Panlong pumped storage power station. After the Wulong project is put into operation, the two super "power banks" will achieve synergy, greatly improving Datang's regulation capability in the Sichuan Chongqing power grid and directly supporting its "water, wind, solar and storage integration" development strategy. This layout is consistent with Datang Group's clean energy strategy throughout the country, such as its deep participation in the construction of the country's first water scenery integrated base in the Yalong River basin (including the largest hydropower project under construction, Mengdigou Hydropower Station), and its promotion of the construction of a national clean energy base in Xizang. The Wulong project will become a key link in connecting these strategic nodes and optimizing the regional energy structure.

With the bidding and implementation of supporting projects such as the owner's camp, the construction blueprint of Wulong Yinpan Pumped Storage Power Station is gradually being transformed into construction drawings and actual projects. It will not only become a "stabilizer" and "regulator" to ensure the safe and stable operation of Chongqing power grid, but also an important landing point for Datang Group to build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, deeply integrating into the new energy development pattern of Southwest China, injecting strong green momentum into the regional green transformation and high-quality development. Editor/Yang Beihua