transmission technologies. It also proposed
expanding the capacity of the West-East power
transmission project and implementation of the
North-South transmission corridor. The National
Energy Administration issued the Circular on
Accelerating and Promoting the Construction of
12 Major Power Transmission Corridors under the
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action
Plan,
63 also in 2014. These corridors include the
Xilingol League-Shandong, Huainan-NanjingShanghai, West Inner Mongolia-South Tianjin
and Yuheng-Shandong UHVAC projects; the
East Ningxia-Zhejiang, Xilingol League-Taizhou,
Shanghaimiao-Shandong, North Shanxi-Jiangsu
and North-west Yunnan-Guangdong UHVDC
projects; and three ±500 kV power transmission
lines.
In 2016, the National Energy Administration
released the 13th Five-Year Plan for Electricity
Development.
64 Among other things the plan
proposes to add 130 GW of capacity to the
West-East transmission project by 2020. This
will increase the project’s capacity to around 270
GW, reducing annual standard coal equivalent
(SCE) consumption by more than 100 million
tonnes in east and central China, thereby reducing emissions and air pollution in the receiving
regions.
(2) Current developments
China began to study UHV technologies in the
1980s. Large-scale research and demonstration
projects began in 2004. China has made breakthroughs in UHV in recent years, developing key
technologies and the ability to manufacture UHV
transformers, reactors, 6 in. thyristors, highcapacity converter valves and other key equipment. China has built the South-east ShanxiNanyang-Jingmen 1,000 kV UHVAC pilot
and demonstration project, Yunnan-Guangdong
(5,000 MW)
and
Xiangjiaba-Shanghai
(7,000 MW) ±800 kV UHVDC demonstration
projects, which have been operating safely and
stably for a long time, proving that China’s UHV
power transmission technologies are mature and
can be deployed widely.
Up to June 2017, China had built 18 UHV
projects, with two more under construction.
Among the 20 UHV projects, seven are AC and
13 are DC, with a total length of nearly
30,000 km. The East Junggar-South Anhui
±1,100 kV UHVDC power transmission project
is the world-record holder in terms of length
(3,324 km), voltage (1,100 kV DC) and capacity
(12,000 MW) (Tables 13 and 14).
The longest UHVDC power transmission line
in service is Jiuquan-Hunan ±800 kV. It opened
in June 2015 and runs through Gansu, Shaanxi,
Chongqing, Hubei and Hunan. The two converter stations, one at either end, have a combined converter capacity of 16,000 MW. At
2,383 km, Jiuquan-Hunan is the longest
UHVDC line in the world at present. It is a
trans-regional power transmission corridor
mainly for wind, solar and other renewables. In
time it will become a west-east power transmission super-highway, enabling the bulk transmission of wind and coal power from Gansu to meet
the current power shortage in central China.
The first UHVAC link in China is the
South-east Shanxi-Nanyang-Jingmen 1,000 kV
UHVAC power transmission pilot and demonstration project: The line is 640 km long. Phase 1
was energised in January 2009 and was the
world’s first UHVAC line to enter commercial
operation. Phase 2 opened in December 2011. It
has a transmission capacity of 5,000 MW and
can transport 25,000 GWh of power per year.
The project connects the north China and central
China power grids and is an important
north-south transmission corridor. It delivers
coal-fired power from north China to the south in
winter and surplus hydropower from central
China to the north in summer. It also provides
backup power in case of outages, delivering
substantial economic and social benefits.
The longest UHVAC power transmission line
in service is Yuheng-Weifang. The1,000 kV
UHVAC project opened in May 2015. It runs
through Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Shandong.
63
http://www.zjdpc.gov.cn/art/2014/6/2/art_981_653664.
html.
64
http://www.nea.gov.cn/2016-11/07/c_135811086.htm.
Special Report 3: A Study of China’s Technology Revolution
361
expanding the capacity of the West-East power
transmission project and implementation of the
North-South transmission corridor. The National
Energy Administration issued the Circular on
Accelerating and Promoting the Construction of
12 Major Power Transmission Corridors under the
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action
Plan,
63 also in 2014. These corridors include the
Xilingol League-Shandong, Huainan-NanjingShanghai, West Inner Mongolia-South Tianjin
and Yuheng-Shandong UHVAC projects; the
East Ningxia-Zhejiang, Xilingol League-Taizhou,
Shanghaimiao-Shandong, North Shanxi-Jiangsu
and North-west Yunnan-Guangdong UHVDC
projects; and three ±500 kV power transmission
lines.
In 2016, the National Energy Administration
released the 13th Five-Year Plan for Electricity
Development.
64 Among other things the plan
proposes to add 130 GW of capacity to the
West-East transmission project by 2020. This
will increase the project’s capacity to around 270
GW, reducing annual standard coal equivalent
(SCE) consumption by more than 100 million
tonnes in east and central China, thereby reducing emissions and air pollution in the receiving
regions.
(2) Current developments
China began to study UHV technologies in the
1980s. Large-scale research and demonstration
projects began in 2004. China has made breakthroughs in UHV in recent years, developing key
technologies and the ability to manufacture UHV
transformers, reactors, 6 in. thyristors, highcapacity converter valves and other key equipment. China has built the South-east ShanxiNanyang-Jingmen 1,000 kV UHVAC pilot
and demonstration project, Yunnan-Guangdong
(5,000 MW)
and
Xiangjiaba-Shanghai
(7,000 MW) ±800 kV UHVDC demonstration
projects, which have been operating safely and
stably for a long time, proving that China’s UHV
power transmission technologies are mature and
can be deployed widely.
Up to June 2017, China had built 18 UHV
projects, with two more under construction.
Among the 20 UHV projects, seven are AC and
13 are DC, with a total length of nearly
30,000 km. The East Junggar-South Anhui
±1,100 kV UHVDC power transmission project
is the world-record holder in terms of length
(3,324 km), voltage (1,100 kV DC) and capacity
(12,000 MW) (Tables 13 and 14).
The longest UHVDC power transmission line
in service is Jiuquan-Hunan ±800 kV. It opened
in June 2015 and runs through Gansu, Shaanxi,
Chongqing, Hubei and Hunan. The two converter stations, one at either end, have a combined converter capacity of 16,000 MW. At
2,383 km, Jiuquan-Hunan is the longest
UHVDC line in the world at present. It is a
trans-regional power transmission corridor
mainly for wind, solar and other renewables. In
time it will become a west-east power transmission super-highway, enabling the bulk transmission of wind and coal power from Gansu to meet
the current power shortage in central China.
The first UHVAC link in China is the
South-east Shanxi-Nanyang-Jingmen 1,000 kV
UHVAC power transmission pilot and demonstration project: The line is 640 km long. Phase 1
was energised in January 2009 and was the
world’s first UHVAC line to enter commercial
operation. Phase 2 opened in December 2011. It
has a transmission capacity of 5,000 MW and
can transport 25,000 GWh of power per year.
The project connects the north China and central
China power grids and is an important
north-south transmission corridor. It delivers
coal-fired power from north China to the south in
winter and surplus hydropower from central
China to the north in summer. It also provides
backup power in case of outages, delivering
substantial economic and social benefits.
The longest UHVAC power transmission line
in service is Yuheng-Weifang. The1,000 kV
UHVAC project opened in May 2015. It runs
through Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Shandong.
63
http://www.zjdpc.gov.cn/art/2014/6/2/art_981_653664.
html.
64
http://www.nea.gov.cn/2016-11/07/c_135811086.htm.
Special Report 3: A Study of China’s Technology Revolution
361