The groundbreaking of Wenzhou Station signifies that the Zhejiang UHV AC Ring Network Project has officially entered a critical construction phase. This is a key project for the development of electric power in the 15th Five Year Plan period of China, with a total investment of 29.3 billion yuan. The entire ring network is planned to be completed and put into operation by 2029. Wenzhou Station, as a core node in southern Zhejiang, has a target construction period set for June 2028, one year ahead of the overall project schedule. For Wenzhou and even the entire southern Zhejiang region, this substation is not just a power facility, but also a throat for the transmission of clean energy.

There is an old problem with the energy structure in Zhejiang. The load in northern Zhejiang is heavy, and there are many power sources in southern Zhejiang, but the transmission channels between the north and south have been tight for a long time. The installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power in Wenzhou and surrounding areas has grown rapidly in recent years. The installed capacity of clean energy in southern Zhejiang has exceeded 20 million kilowatts, but the transmission capacity has not kept up. After the completion of the ultra-high voltage ring network, wind and photovoltaic power in southern Zhejiang can directly move north without squeezing existing channels. Wenzhou Station is the most crucial link on this north-south artery.

Resolving structural contradictions

This is not a simple expansion. The Zhejiang ultra-high voltage AC ring network covers multiple cities such as Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou, etc., forming a complete ultra-high voltage AC main network. In the past, the Zhejiang power grid was mainly based on 500 kV, and only the Ningshao channel in northern Zhejiang supported the ultra-high voltage AC lines. Once there was maintenance or malfunction, the entire receiving end power grid would be tight. After the completion of the ring network, multi-point interconnection and multi-directional power transmission will greatly enhance the resilience and flexibility of the power grid.

For Wenzhou locals, the significance is more direct. After the completion of Wenzhou Station, the consumption of offshore wind power and distributed photovoltaics in the surrounding area will be fundamentally alleviated. Wenzhou is building a new energy base with a capacity of tens of millions of kilowatts. Without the support of ultra-high voltage nodes, these new energy sources can only stay locally and cannot be connected to the power grid.

Nodes cannot be dragged

The schedule is very tight. From excavation to completion in less than two years, Wenzhou Station needs to complete the entire process of civil engineering, equipment installation, commissioning, and grid connection. The equipment procurement cycle for ultra-high voltage engineering is long, and core equipment such as main transformers and GIS composite appliances need to lock in production capacity in advance. At present, State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power is promoting the bidding of relevant equipment, and the construction team has also entered the site to carry out site leveling and foundation excavation. Keywords: ultra-high voltage

Once this station is put into operation, the main road for exporting clean energy from southern Zhejiang will be completely opened up.Editor/Cheng Liting