On February 22, 2026, when most people had just finished the Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival), a cheering sound pierced the thin air along the Yalong River, which is 3000 meters above sea level in the western Sichuan Plateau. In the underground powerhouse of Lianghekou Pumped Storage Power Station, the dusty builders took off their safety helmets and their eyes were moist - this world's largest and highest hybrid pumped storage power station under construction has reached a dual milestone of the successful completion of underground powerhouse excavation and the formal start of downstream reservoir concrete pouring. For this moment, more than a thousand builders chose to stay on the plateau during this Spring Festival, casting heavy weapons with sweat in the freezing cold of minus ten degrees Celsius.

The world's first energy black technology

Why is the Lianghekou Pumped Storage Power Station called the "world's first"? The answer is hidden in the three words' mixed '.

This power station cleverly played the "energy combination punch": relying on the already built Lianghekou Super Reservoir as the upper reservoir, using the first level hydropower station reservoir as the lower reservoir, four 300000 kW reversible units were added to work together with the original 3 million kW conventional hydropower units, and the total installed capacity reached 4.2 million kW in one fell swoop. This is like a "super hybrid version" in the automotive industry - it relies on natural runoff to generate electricity during the wet season, pumps water to the upper reservoir to store green electricity during low demand periods, and instantly discharges during peak demand to fill the gap, perfectly solving the global problem of wind power and photovoltaics relying on the weather for survival.

What is even more exciting is its green contribution: after completion, the Lianghekou Power Station will be able to consume 7 million kilowatts of surrounding wind and solar new energy, providing 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 600000 households. This means that 140000 tons of standard coal can be saved annually, reducing carbon emissions by 349000 tons, equivalent to planting nearly 20 million pine trees in the western Sichuan Plateau. It is not only a power station, but also a key player on the national energy transformation chessboard.

Create a construction miracle in the forbidden zone of life

At an altitude of 3000 meters, the oxygen content is less than 70% of the plain, and the extreme cold of minus ten degrees Celsius - every inch of progress here is achieved through willpower.

Entering the construction site, the most shocking thing is not the roaring machinery, but the oxygen masks on the faces of the builders and the white frost condensed on their eyelashes. The "heart" of this power station - the underground factory building is buried 500 meters deep in the mountain, with a maximum burial depth of 650 meters, equivalent to the height of a 20 story underground building. The geological conditions are so complex that they are suffocating: frequent rock bursts and high ground stresses can cause rocks to collapse like explosives at any time, and construction is like working in an "underground seismic zone".

But Chinese infrastructure workers are never afraid of difficulties. The domestically produced intelligent unmanned rock drilling rig has demonstrated its capabilities here, achieving centimeter level drilling accuracy and increasing efficiency by 30%; Engineers have created a precise blasting method, dynamically adjusting blasting parameters based on real-time monitoring data to minimize the risk of rock burst. More than 10 working faces operate in 24-hour shifts. During the 2026 Spring Festival, over 500 builders voluntarily gave up going home to reunite and seize the "golden window" for construction during the dry season. It is the dual blessing of "black technology+stupid kung fu" that has enabled the excavation of underground factories to be completed three months ahead of schedule!

From Engineering Miracle to Energy Confidence

Why invest so much money in such a difficult place? The answer lies in the grand chess game of national energy security.

China's installed capacity of photovoltaic and wind power has become the world's largest, but strong volatility and difficulty in consumption have always been pain points. After the completion of the Lianghekou Power Station, it will become the core hub for the integration of "water, wind, solar energy, hydrogen storage, and computing" in the Yalong River, converting unstable green electricity into stable and reliable high-quality power, which will be continuously transmitted to developed areas in the east through ultra-high voltage channels. This means that we are completely breaking free from external dependence on energy supply through independent innovation in China.

What is even more proud is that China has achieved comprehensive localization of pumped storage, from design, construction to core equipment, all in its own hands. At present, the scale of pumped storage under construction and to be built is about 200 million kilowatts, ranking first in the world for 9 consecutive years. The double breakthrough of the Lianghekou project is not only another engineering monument, but also a vivid footnote to China's construction of a clean and independent modern energy system. While the world is still debating energy transition, Chinese infrastructure workers have already provided answers with actions on the roof of the world. Keywords: Close up Latest News, Close up News Network

The breakthrough on February 22, 2026 belongs to every builder who silently stands firm on the plateau. When we enjoy the light and warmth, please remember that in the cold wind at an altitude of 3000 meters, there is a group of Chinese people who have illuminated our future with sweat.Editor/Gao Xue