At the beginning of 2026, the construction sites of power grids in many parts of the country were already buzzing with the sound of machines, creating a busy scene. Since December 30, 2025, Inner Mongolia's ultra-high voltage project has taken the lead in construction. By the end of January 2026, the first key power grid projects of the 15th Five Year Plan in provinces such as Beijing, Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Yunnan have successively broken ground, marking the full launch of a new wave of power grid construction dominated by ultra-high voltage and 500 kV projects, bringing clear signals of high-end and large-scale development to the wire and cable industry.

Intensive implementation of engineering projects and massive investment scale

2026 is the first year of the 15th Five Year Plan, and fixed assets investment of power grid is significant. For example, the grid fixed assets investment in Zhejiang Province is planned to reach 51.23 billion yuan in 2026, up 6.2% year on year. These projects are not only the first batch of key projects during the 15th Five Year Plan period in various regions, such as the Beijing Fengtai 500 kV transmission and transformation project being included in the three 100 key projects of Beijing in 2026, but also supported by the grand plan of the State Grid Corporation of China with a total investment of about 4 trillion yuan during the 15th Five Year Plan period. These projects, including high-voltage direct current, 500 kV transmission and transformation, and access systems, focus on the integration of new energy, cross regional power mutual aid, and regional economic development, forming the basic framework of this round of construction.

Promote technological upgrading and demand driven high-end

The current wave of power grid construction directly drives the technological iteration and demand structure upgrade of cable products. The ultra-high voltage and high-grade transmission projects have put forward higher requirements for the voltage level, reliability, and special environmental adaptability of cables. For example, the ± 800 kV high-voltage direct current project from Mengxi to Beijing Tianjin Hebei, as a new energy transmission channel in Shagehuang, requires long-distance transmission special cables that are suitable for extreme environments. This has accelerated the transformation of the industry towards high voltage, specialization, and greenization. The demand for high-end products such as 500 kV cross-linked polyethylene insulated cables, smart cables, and low smoke halogen-free environmentally friendly cables has surged, forcing enterprises to break through core technologies, accelerate the process of domestic substitution, and drive the coordinated development of supporting industrial chains such as cable accessories and testing equipment. Keywords: macro news information, macro news website

Reshaping the industry landscape, highlighting the leading advantages

The concentrated launch of large-scale, high standard power grid projects is reshaping the competitive landscape of the cable industry. On the one hand, market demand will continue to be released, which is expected to drive steady growth in demand for products such as medium and high voltage cables and overhead wires; On the other hand, the strict requirements for product intelligence and environmental protection, as well as the increasing number of special application scenarios, will drive the industry to continuously eliminate low-end overcapacity and optimize the industrial structure. During this process, leading enterprises with technological research and development capabilities, large-scale production capabilities, and quality brand advantages are expected to gain more market share, and industry concentration is expected to further increase, opening a new chapter of high-quality development.Editor/Gao Xue