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China strikes again! Meet the world's most gigantic energy storage plant and how it's changing the rules of the global energy game!
China is already the world’s largest hydropower powerhouse, but its main focus is now on energy storage. The country is expanding its pumped storage capacity to reach 80 GW by 2027.
In August 2023, the world's largest pumped storage plant went into operation in northern China. And in September of the same year, construction began on the world's second-largest plant, located in eastern China.
New storage capacity for renewable energy
Besides being global leader in construction In addition to new hydropower plants, China is also expanding its renewable capacity. In 2023 alone, the country installed 6,7 GW of renewable capacity in its reservoirs. However, the goal is even more ambitious: to reach a total hydropower capacity of 120 GW by 2030.
However, power generation is not the only thing that matters. China has vast solar and wind power capacity, making storing excess renewable energy a priority. In 2023, the country installed 6,2 GW of pumped storage capacity, and is expected to surpass that mark by the end of the year.
The world's largest pumped storage plant
The world's newest and largest pumped storage plant is located in Fengning, Hebei Province, north of Beijing. Operated by China's state-owned power grid, construction took 11 years to complete, with completion scheduled for August 2023.
This plant has a gigantic capacity: 3,6 GW, divided into two phases of 1.800 MW. Each phase has six reversible pump-turbine units, each with a capacity of 300 MW.
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Construction of the second largest plant in the world
China continues to make rapid progress. On September 8, 2023, the foundation stone was laid for the world's second-largest pumped storage facility, located in Jiande City, eastern Zhejiang Province.
With a budget of $1,76 billion and a planned capacity of 2,4 GW, it will be the largest clean energy project by GCL, China's second-largest solar power company. The plant will feature six reversible turbines, each with an output of 400 MW, and is expected to generate 2,52 TWh of electricity annually from 2030.
How pumped storage works
Pumped storage is often described as turning reservoirs into giant batteries, but instead of moving electrons, these plants move water from a low-lying reservoir to a higher-lying one, using physics to store energy.
When there is low demand for electricity, water is pumped into the upper reservoir, taking advantage of excess solar and wind energy production. During peak energy demand, water is released back into the lower reservoir, generating electricity as it passes through the turbines.
The growing demand for energy storage
China is the world's largest battery manufacturer and leads the way in installing battery storage capacity each year. However, energy consumption in the country is steadily growing.
This explains the need to also use its hydroelectric reservoirs to compensate for the lack of flexibility in the electricity grid, which depends on renewable sources such as the sun and wind. Although these sources cover demand on sunny days and strong winds, China still relies heavily on coal during periods of low renewable production.
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