On June 5, 2026, the machines in the deep mountains of Chawalong Township, Nyingchi, Xizang - Chayu Converter Station of the ± 800 kV UHV DC transmission project from Southeast Tibet to Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area officially broke ground. This mega project, led by China Energy Engineering Zhongnan Institute, is rewriting the narrative logic of China's energy landscape: for the first time, humans have attempted to use ± 800 kV four terminal flexible DC technology to accurately deliver clean hydropower from the Qinghai Tibet Plateau across 4000 kilometers to the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area.

Electric Sky Road on the Third Ladder

The Tibet Guangdong DC, with a total length of 2681 kilometers, spans four provinces and regions of Xizang, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong. It is the first UHV project in China that simultaneously crosses the three geographical steps of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and South China hills. The line needs to cross complex terrain such as Hengduan Mountains and the Nanling Mountain Mountains, and the construction conditions are extremely stringent. Central South Institute is responsible for the survey and design work of Chayu Converter Station (Package A) and sections 11 and 12 of the Yunnan Guangxi Guangdong railway line. As the core hub of the project, the Chayu Converter Station has a rated capacity of 5 million kilowatts and is responsible for the key task of collecting and transmitting hydropower from southeastern Tibet. The entire line is planned to build four converter stations in Changdu, Chayu, Guangzhou Xiaodao, and central Shenzhen, with a total transmission capacity of 10 million kilowatts. It is planned to be fully operational by 2029.

Breaking the situation of Xizang's energy pattern

The strategic value of the Tibet Guangdong DC goes far beyond transmission itself. As the first multi terminal UHV flexible DC project to deliver clean power from Xizang, it will promote Xizang to leap from energy receiving end to green power output end, and completely change Xizang's role in the national energy landscape.

After the project is put into operation, it can deliver tens of billions of kilowatt hours of clean hydropower to the Greater Bay Area every year, which is equivalent to reducing millions of tons of carbon emissions, providing substantial support for the country's dual carbon goals, and injecting lasting green momentum into the high-quality development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. At the same time, the project will also drive infrastructure upgrades and employment growth in the areas along the route, achieving a win-win situation for energy development and regional development. Keywords: ultra-high voltage, high-voltage direct current transmission engineering

When the entire line is completed in 2029, every drop of water on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau will turn into the cleanest light among the thousands of lights in the Greater Bay Area.Editor/Cheng Liting