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Pumped Storage Hydropower

Updated: September 29,2022

Introduction

POWERCHINA has been engaged in the design and construction of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) for more than 60 years and has participated in the construction of more than 90% of PSH stations in China. More than 50 large-scale PSH stations have been built or are under construction by POWERCHINA, with a total capacity of over 60 GW.

POWERCHINA has developed a complete set of mature technology and management systems, including the PSH site selection, survey, design, and construction. A series of industry specifications have been compiled, such as reservoir seepage prevention, reservoir formation, and dam building technology under complicated geological conditions, high-pressure waterway design, Francis pump turbines, digital power stations, and other technologies designed specifically for PSH.


Landmark PSH projects are as follows:

1. Hebei Fengning PSH Station in China

With a total installed capacity of 3,600 MW, the world's largest PSH station (under construction) has 12 units with a single capacity of 300 MW and a rated head of 471 m, two of which are variable-speed units.

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The lower storage reservoir of the Fengning PSH Station in Hebei province


2.Zhejiang Changlongshan PSH Station in China

With a total installed capacity of 2,100 MW, the Zhejiang Changlongshan PSH Station has installed six units with a single unit capacity of 350 MW and a rated head of 710 m. It is the first time that two different rated speeds (500/600 rpm) of pumped-storage units are arranged in the same powerhouse. The pump-turbine unit with a rated speed of 600 rpm and a unit capacity of 350 MW has the largest single unit capacity all over the world.

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The underground powerhouse of Zhejiang Changlongshan PSH Station


3. Jilin Dunhua PSH Station in China

The total installed capacity of Jilin Dunhua PSH Station is 1,400 MW. The power station has four units with a single unit capacity of 350 MW. The asphalt concrete core rockfill dam has successfully applied in a domestic PSH station in a severe cold region for the first time in China, The project also applies the longest 500-kV HV power cable that exceeds 1,500 m and the penstock has a maximum hydrostatic pressure up to 800 m.

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The lower reservoir of Jilin Dunhua PSH Station


4. Jiangxi Hongping PSH Station

With a total installed capacity of 1,200 MW, the first phase of Jiangxi Hongping PSH Station has four units with a single unit capacity of 300 MW and a rated head of 540 m. Hongping PSH Project has done a great job on seepage prevention under complex geological conditions. It has adopted composite anti-seepage technology for the upper reservoir, optimized the design of the water diversion system, and improved the efficiency of electromechanical equipment. The measured comprehensive efficiency of the power station exceeds 82%. The project has won the 2018-2019 China National Quality Engineering Gold Award.

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The upper reservoir of Jiangxi Hongping PSH Station


5. Shandong Yimeng PSH Station

With a total installed capacity of 1,200 MW, Shandong Yimeng PSH Station has installed four units with a single unit capacity of 300 MW and a rated head of 375 m. A number of breakthroughs in domestic PSH construction have been achieved on this project, such as the first high-speed "zero-counterweight" pumped storage unit, the first application of the intelligent inspection system for the entire station in the hydropower industry, and the total deflection rate of one drilling pilot hole from the 380-meter high deep well of the water diversion system has reached the first-class level in China.

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The upper reservoir of Shandong Yimeng PSH Station


6. Anhui Jixi PSH Station

With a total installed capacity of 1,800 MW, Anhui Jixi PSH Station has six units with a single unit capacity of 300 MW and a rated head of 600 m. The project's units are the first self-developed pumped-storage units with high head (600-700 m) and high speed (500 r/min) to be put into operation in China. The project is the first one in China that adopts the shaft spillway and it also contains the longest diversion inclined shaft among the projects under construction at the same time.

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The lower reservoir of Anhui Jixi PSH Station


7. Guangdong Meizhou PSH Station

Guangdong Meizhou PSH Station has a planned installed capacity of 2,400 MW and it was constructed in two phases. The total installed capacity of the first phase is 1,200 MW, and four units with a single unit capacity of 300 MW are installed, with a rated head of 400 m. It took 41 months for the construction of Phase 1 from the start of the main project to the commission of the first unit, and 47 months for all 4 units to be put into operation, breaking a record for the shortest construction period among the PSH projects in China.

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The lower reservoir of Guangdong Meizhou PSH Station


8. Kokhav Hayarden PSH Station in Israel

It is the largest PSH project in Israel. The total installed capacity is 344 MW, and two units with a single unit capacity of 172 MW are installed, with a rated speed of 600 rpm and a rated head of 410 m. It is the first overseas PSH project undertaken by POWERCHINA and constructed in the EPC mode.

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The upper reservoir of Kokhav Hayarden PSH Station in Israel