On March 25, 2026, the Development and Reform Commission of Shaanxi Province publicly announced the "List of Key Construction Projects in Shaanxi Province in 2026", which clearly stated that the province plans to promote 640 provincial-level key projects in 2026, with an annual planned investment exceeding 350 billion yuan. The projects cover many core areas such as infrastructure, modern energy and chemical industry, advanced manufacturing industry, etc. The planning and layout of the energy infrastructure sector has attracted much attention.

Five pumped storage power stations on the list have been successfully selected, with a total installed capacity of approximately 7.4 million kilowatts and a total investment scale far exceeding 55 billion yuan. Such a large-scale investment layout demonstrates Shaanxi's firm determination to build a new power system and strengthen its power grid regulation capabilities. The aim is to improve energy storage facilities and adapt to the continuously expanding new energy installed capacity, laying a solid foundation for energy security and green low-carbon transformation and development.

Comprehensive construction of Shaanxi's largest pumped storage project

The Baoji Dazhuangli Pumped Storage Power Station in Chencang District, Baoji City, is currently the leading pumped storage project in terms of installed capacity in Shaanxi Province. The total investment of the project is 14.781 billion yuan, with a designed installed capacity of 2.1 million kilowatts. The preliminary construction began in August 2024 and was successfully approved in October of the same year.

As of March 2026, the project construction is progressing steadily and the main project has officially entered the construction site. The civil engineering construction of the underground reservoir and the installation of metal structures are being comprehensively promoted simultaneously. According to the plan, Dazhuangli Power Station is expected to achieve the first unit operation and power generation in December 2030, and will become the core regulation hub of Shaanxi power grid in the future.

Key period for the construction of Foping and Shahe power stations

The two pumped storage power stations, Foping and Shahe, located in Hanzhong City, have entered a critical stage of construction. Among them, the Foping Pumped Storage Power Station is listed as a key implementation project of the 14th Five Year Plan in China, with a total investment of 9.854 billion yuan and an installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts. The preliminary project will start in December 2023, and the main project will officially commence in December 2024.

By the end of 2025, the Four Holes and One Road project has been basically completed, and the downstream reservoir has been successfully diverted, officially entering the peak period of main construction; The excavation work of the upper and lower reservoir dam shoulders and the rock anchor beams of the factory building is being carried out in an orderly manner, and it is expected to be fully completed and generate electricity by the end of 2029. The Shahe Pumped Storage Power Station located in Mianxian County has a total investment of about 10 billion yuan and an installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts. It is a key energy storage hub in southern Shaanxi and will start construction in April 2025. As of March 2026, the self flowing drainage tunnel TBM of the project has been successfully launched, the excavation of the main transformer tunnel top arch has been completed, the construction of the ventilation and smoke exhaust tunnel vertical shaft has started synchronously, and the construction of the underground tunnel group has entered the fast lane. It is planned to be put into operation for power generation in 2030.

Accelerate the construction of Caoping and Shanyang power stations

As an important base for clean energy in Shaanxi, Shangluo has included two large-scale pumped storage power stations, Caoping and Shanyang, in the list of key projects. The Caoping Pumped Storage Power Station in Zhashui County, with a total investment of 10.68 billion yuan and an installed capacity of 1.5 million kilowatts, is the largest pumped storage power station planned for installation in southern Shaanxi. It was approved in February 2023 and is currently in the construction preparation sprint stage.

In March 2026, the project has started the bidding for land acquisition and resettlement design, and the key cavern engineering, construction power supply and other sections have been successively completed for bidding, clearing obstacles for the comprehensive commencement of the main project. The plan is to start the main construction in 2026, put the first unit into operation in 2031, and fully complete it in 2032. The Shanyang Pumped Storage Power Station in Shanyang County is invested by the Three Gorges Group, with a total investment of about 10 billion yuan and an installed capacity of 1.4 million kilowatts. The main project will start in October 2025, with a total construction period of 60 months. As of March 2026, the ventilation and safety tunnel, flood discharge tunnel and other construction areas have been fully connected, and the pilot tunnel in the main transformer room has been completed ahead of schedule. The construction of the upper reservoir dam surface cleaning and water conveyance system has been accelerated. It is expected that the first unit will generate electricity in December 2029 and be fully put into operation in September 2030. Keywords: pumped storage, new power system, green energy storage

With the completion and operation of the five major pumped storage power stations, the energy structure of Shaanxi Province will be deeply optimized, providing strong and stable power guarantee for the green and high-quality development of the regional economy.Editor/Gong Ziwei