1.4 GW Xiamen pumped storage project connected to the grid

Following a 15-day trial operation, the acceptance team has confirmed the No. 4 unit of the State Grid Fujian Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station to be safe and effective, granting official approval for its operation. Units 1, 2, and 3 had previously been successfully commissioned between October 2023 and March 2024. With all four units now online, the construction of the 1.4 GW Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station is officially complete.

According to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, the main construction works on the Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station commenced in November 2019. The project, with a total investment of $1.2 billion (CNY 8.664 billion), includes the installation of four reversible pump-turbine generator units, each with a capacity of 350 MW. The station is connected to the Fujian power grid through two 500 kV transmission lines.

The completion of the Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station will enable the storage of potential energy by pumping water to a high-altitude reservoir during valley periods and generating electricity during peak periods, effectively balancing the grid. The station is designed to absorb 3.127 TWh of valley electricity annually and provide 2.345 TWh of peak electricity.

Once fully operational, it is expected to save 220,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 440,000 tons annually, bringing significant energy-saving and emission-reduction benefits to the Fujian provincial grid.

Furthermore, the Xiamen Pumped Storage Power Station will undertake critical tasks for the Fujian power grid, including peak shaving, valley filling, frequency regulation, phase modulation, and emergency standby. This will effectively alleviate peak regulation pressure and enhance the province’s capacity to integrate more renewable energy.

Fujian Province, located on China’s southeast coast, boasts favorable geographical conditions, characterized by mountainous terrain and abundant rainfall, making it an ideal location for the development of pumped storage.

Since 2015, more than ten gigawatt-level pumped storage power stations have been built or are under construction in Fujian, contributing significantly to the province’s green energy development and the stability of its power system.