The State Grid Corporation of China: Fuzhou-Xiamen 1000 kV Ultra-High Voltage AC Project Commences

After a 72-hour trial operation, at 23:55 on December 16, 2023, the Fuzhou-Xiamen 1000 kV Ultra-High Voltage AC Project (The Fuzhou-Xiamen Project) of The State Grid Corporation of China officially commenced operation. This marks a significant initiative by The State Grid Corporation of China in thoroughly implementing the important speeches, directives, and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, and earnestly executing the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. It bears the responsibility of ensuring energy supply and serving the high-quality development of the economy and society. The project is a major step in actively promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, advancing the construction of a new type of power system and energy system, and contributing to the achievement of China's "dual carbon" goals.

The Fuzhou-Xiamen Project is a key initiative in the national "14th Five-Year Plan" for electric power, with a total investment of 7.1 billion yuan. The project starts at the Rongcheng Substation, passes through the Changtai Substation, and ends at the Jimei Substation. It includes the construction of a new 1000 kV Changtai Substation, the expansion of the 1000 kV Rongcheng Substation and the 500 kV Jimei Substation, adding 6 million kVA of transformer capacity, and constructing a double-circuit 1000 kV transmission line spanning 234 kilometers. The commencement of the project will further improve the main grid structure of the Fujian power grid, enhance the supporting capacity of the East China ultra-high voltage AC main grid, ensure the outbound transmission of clean electricity from the northern part of Fujian and the power reception at the southern load center, support the interconnection of the Fujian and Guangdong power grids to facilitate the transfer of electricity from Fujian to Guangdong, and better serve the economic and social development of the coastal regions.

1. The Fuzhou-Xiamen Project is a crucial initiative for power supply assurance, set to enhance Fujian's "North-to-South Electricity Transmission" capacity, providing strong power support for the economic and social development of the coastal regions. Influenced by natural conditions and socio-economic development, Fujian's power sources and electricity demands are inversely distributed between the north and south. With the growth of the southern load and the commissioning of planned power sources in the north, the scale of "North-to-South Electricity Transmission" within the province is set to increase further. As the second ultra-high voltage line project in Fujian Province, the Fuzhou-Xiamen Project will further refine the main grid structure of the Fujian power grid, enhance the "North-to-South Electricity Transmission" capacity of the Fujian grid, and improve the power supply capability and reliability in the coastal areas of Fujian. It will extend the East China ultra-high voltage main grid to the southern load center areas of Fujian, significantly enhancing the external power receiving capacity of the Fujian grid and improving the power supply reliability in Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and other areas. The project will provide robust grid support for transmitting electricity from Fujian to Guangdong, ensuring the stable operation of the Fujian-Guangdong grid interconnection project, facilitating interconnected operations, mutual aid in surplus and deficit situations, and emergency backup, and enhancing the inter-provincial grid interconnection and exchange capabilities of the Fujian grid with surrounding provinces.

2. The Fuzhou-Xiamen Project is a green initiative that promotes energy transformation, further facilitating the widespread consumption of clean energy and aiding in the achievement of China's "dual carbon" goals. Fujian is the first national ecological civilization pilot zone and a national ecological civilization demonstration area. The State Grid Corporation of China has identified Fujian as one of the three provincial demonstration areas for advancing the construction of a new type of power system. Fujian possesses a comprehensive range of energy resources and has established a general pattern where clean energy accounts for a significant portion, with all types of power sources developing in coordination. As of the end of October this year, Fujian's total installed capacity of clean energy power generation reached 50.27 million kilowatts, accounting for 62.6% of the total power generation capacity. Looking at the distribution of power generation installations, more than half of the new wind, photovoltaic, and nuclear power sources planned in Fujian from 2024 to 2030 will be located in the northern part of the province. After the Fuzhou-Xiamen Project is operational, it will effectively ensure the outbound transmission of electricity from the northern part of Fujian and the power reception at the southern load center, further promoting the widespread consumption of clean energy and driving the clean and low-carbon energy transformation. At the same time, the construction of the project will reduce system transmission losses, effectively save transmission line corridors and land resources, representing a concrete manifestation and significant measure in building a "resource-conserving, environmentally friendly" power grid.

3. The Fuzhou-Xiamen Project is an innovative endeavor that accelerates technological upgrades and comprehensively enhances the level of power grid construction and management, aiming to create a model of excellence. The project marks the first application of domestic dry-type bushings in 1000 kV AC main transformers and the development of domestically-produced chip-based secondary equipment for grid connection. It emphasizes the manufacturing and installation process control of the first set of equipment, improving equipment safety standards. The project is being developed as The State Grid Corporation of China's first "Six Precisions and Four Modernizations" (meticulous safety, quality enhancement, precise progress control, technical dedication, cost-effective management, strong team cultivation, standardization, greening, mechanization, and intelligentization) demonstration project in its operating area.

The State Grid Corporation of China has conducted research on intelligent installation of ultra-high voltage main equipment, established 27 quality control indicators for oil-immersed equipment and 11 for switchgear, and completed the development and iterative upgrade of 11 types of construction intelligent equipment, achieving online monitoring of process indicators and automated control of processes. The "Intelligent Installation" demonstration application at the Changtai Station has enabled ultra-high voltage project construction to be monitorable, quality and efficiency improvable, data sharable, and results traceable.

In the project, with 91.3% of the line traversing mountainous terrain, the mechanization rate of line foundation construction reached 39%, and all tower assemblies were carried out using ground pole clamps or mobile cranes. The project advances the intelligentization of construction machinery and tools and creates an intelligent manufacturing chain for main equipment. It implements satellite surveys, drone detailed inspections, and remote monitoring by control centers, establishing a new integrated model of environmental and water conservation supervision that combines “sky and land.” The project's soil and water conservation assessments have all received a "green" rating in the three-color evaluation.

Currently, The State Grid Corporation of China has become the world's largest electricity grid in terms of voltage level, installed capacity, and resource allocation capability, and it continues to maintain the longest safe operation record for a major global power grid. It is understood that The State Grid Corporation of China has cumulatively constructed 35 ultra-high voltage projects, known as "Nineteen AC and Sixteen DC" projects. The operational and under-construction ultra-high voltage project lines span approximately 56,000 kilometers, significantly enhancing China's ability to transmit electricity over long distances and vigorously promoting the development of "West-to-East Electricity Transmission" and "North-to-South Electricity Transmission."

The State Grid Corporation of China is committed to serving the development of the economy and society and fulfilling the people's aspirations for a better life. It resolutely implements the new energy security strategy of "Four Revolutions and One Cooperation," fully leveraging its role as a major national asset and pillar. The company continues to improve the backbone network of the power grid, accelerates the high-quality development of the grid, actively promotes the revolution in energy production and consumption, powers the good life, and energizes a beautiful China.