Deep in the Gobi Desert, an energy battle related to the strategic map of West East power transmission has quietly begun. After several rounds of competition in the field of hydropower, Aneng Second Bureau, which has been deeply involved in the hydropower industry, finally broke through and won the first large-scale pumped storage power station dedicated road project in Xinjiang, connecting the construction artery of this first-class large-scale water conservancy hub. This marks the end of the project preparation period and officially enters the final sprint stage of the main construction.

The dust of project bidding has settled

On August 11, 2026, the first large-scale pumped storage power station in Xinjiang with a total investment of 10.9 billion yuan made new progress. The special road project for Huadian Shanshan 1.4 million kilowatt pumped storage power station announced the results of the construction bidding for the winning candidates. This project is a key project in the national medium and long-term plan for pumped storage during the 15th Five Year Plan period, and the construction is currently progressing at full speed. In this bidding for the section, China Aneng Second Engineering Bureau, which had accompanied the bidding for many times for a long time, won the bid at a low price, while China Railway Seventh Engineering Bureau unfortunately lost with a slight price difference.

Project Overview Construction Acceleration

The project is located in Shanshan County, Turpan, and is a core energy supporting project for the West East Power Transmission. It is a first-class large-scale (1) water conservancy project with a total installed capacity of 1400 megawatts and equipped with four 350MW reversible pump turbine units. The project is designed to generate 1.75 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with an annual pumping power consumption of 2.33 billion kilowatt hours and a comprehensive energy efficiency of 75%. The project was approved in January 2024 and started construction in October. Multiple preliminary bidding works have been completed, and the overall construction is orderly and accelerated. It is expected to be completed and put into use in December 2031.

The dedicated road for this bidding is a key supporting facility for the project's external connectivity, with a total length of 4.12 kilometers, connecting Township Road Y117 to the outlet of the lower reservoir flood discharge and sand discharge tunnel. The road is constructed according to the third level standard within the hydroelectric field, with a design speed of 20 kilometers per hour. The construction scope covers the entire set of projects such as roadbed, bridges and tunnels, pavement, tunnel electromechanical, and security. This permanent passage will connect the main transportation routes for equipment and materials, laying a solid transportation foundation for the construction of the main project.

Bid review and project value

Only two units were shortlisted for this bidding, and the competition was very fierce. China Aneng Second Engineering Bureau ranked first with a bid of 103.4988 million yuan, becoming the preferred candidate for winning the bid. China Railway Seventh Bureau quoted 103.9808 million yuan, ranking second with a slight difference. The price difference between the two parties is only 480000 yuan, and Aneng Second Bureau successfully won the bid with the advantage of low price. Keywords: pumped storage, West East power transmission, new energy

Previously, in the bidding for the road section of the project, China Railway 17th Bureau won the bid, while Aneng Second Bureau unfortunately did not win. This winning bid has enabled Aneng to successfully win back one game from the second round. Aneng Second Bureau is deeply involved in hydropower engineering, with solid technical expertise and rich experience in tunnel construction, blasting operations, geological remediation, and other fields. As the first large-scale pumped storage power station in Xinjiang, this project has profound strategic significance. After the project is put into operation, it can enhance the consumption capacity of Xinjiang's wind and solar new energy, reduce the problem of abandoned wind and solar power, and support regional energy transformation. At the same time, it will provide a model for the construction of large-scale pumped storage projects in Northwest China, and help achieve the dual carbon goals in border areas. With the bidding for road engineering coming to an end, the project preparation period has basically come to an end, officially entering the construction sprint stage.Editor/Gong Ziwei