OREANDA-NEWS.  July 11, 2013. The second Xinjiang-Northwest Main Grid Transmission Line was officially put into operation. The ceremony was held simultaneously at SGCC HQ, Xinjiang Southern Hami Substation, Gansu Shazhou Substation and Qinghai Yuka Switching Station. SGCC President Shu Yinbiao announced its successful launch.

The project, with a lot of attention on China’s western frontiers from the Central CPC and the State Council, is an important step to implement SGCC’s Western Development Program. This major achievement in western grid will strongly propel the socio-economic development in Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai.

Member of the Xinjiang CPC Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Autonomous Region Huang Wei, Member of the Gansu CPC Standing Committee and Standing Vice Governor of Gansu Province Liu Yongfu, and Vice Governor of Qinghai Province Zhang Huangrong gave speeches on behalf of the three provinces along the line. SGCC EVP Zheng Baosen presided over the event.

Huang Wei said that SGCC attached great importance to the grid development in Xinjiang and the local government fully operated with NEA and SGCC to output electricity from Xinjiang with efforts from SGCC and other provinces. Liu Yongfu said that the Gansu provincial government would support SGCC as always, provide good service, and further the cooperation with the company in industrial technology upgrade and new energy utilization and development for improved grid construction and the harmonious socio-economic development. Zhang Guangrong hoped that SGCC would continue its attention on the development in Qinghai and fasten the grid construction in the province for reliable electricity supply.

Shu Yinbiao extended his admiration to all construction workers and his heartfelt appreciation to Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai as well as the media and friends from all walks of life on behalf of SGCC and its Chairman Liu Zhenya. This project stretches a long distance, which makes the task even more difficult on top of the high altitude, complex geographic conditions, severe weather, and harsh construction environment. The company paid great attention and established a construction command center for exquisite organization and deployment in order to bring the conglomerate advantage into full play. With tight cooperation with local governments, SGCC constructed the project in full speed. All construction workers have overcome all kinds of obstacles, such as severely cold and hot weathers, big sandstorms, and plateau hypoxia. It took them only 13 months to finish every task with high standard and high quality. Shu demanded attention attached to grid safety management, and asked to strengthen scientific dispatching, maintain equipment, improve emergency system and ensure the project’s function.

SGCC EVP Yu Xinqiang gave a report on project construction on behalf of the construction command center. Before its official launch, representatives from Xinjiang Electric Power Company, Gansu Electric Power Company and Qinghai Electric Power Company delivered reports on the preparation in three sub-venues respectively. Representatives from the National Power Dispatching Center briefed on the dispatching situation.

The second Xinjiang-Northwest Main Grid transmission line started its construction on May 13, 2012, with a total investment of 9.56 billion yuan. The 2*1079km line starts in Hami, Xinjiang in the west, and ends in Geermu, Qinghai in the east, waving its way through Dunhuang. It is the 750kV transmission and transformation project with the biggest investment, the most scientific innovations and the shortest construction period in the world. As a major project of SGCC’s 12th Five-Year Plan, an important part of the 750kV Northwest Main Grid, and an essential channel to transmit the electricity from Xinjiang to the rest parts of the country, this project will be transmitting coal-fired electricity, wind power and PV power in Hami of Xinjiang, Jiuquan of Gansu and Qaidam of Qinghai throughout the country, and be promoting the accommodation of energy resources in a broader scope.

It’s learned that SGCC increased its investment in the grid construction in western China while implementing China's Western Development Program. A series of major transmission and transformation projects, such as the first Xinjiang-Northwest Main Grid Transmission Project, Qinghai-Tibet Interconnection Project, and Yushu Interconnection Project, have been constructed to accelerate the electricity transmission from Xinjiang to the rest of the country. As of the end of May this year, the first transmission line between Xinjiang and Northwest Main Grid has delivered 8.77TWh of power, equivalent to transporting 4 million tons of coal to Mid and North China, saving the railway transporting capacity and realizing on-site resource transformation. It has brought economic benefit of 3.53 billion yuan and turned the resource advantage into economic advantage in Xinjiang. Upon the completion of the second transmission line, the transmission capacity of clean energy from Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai will be upgraded from the current 3.3GW to 7GW, with an annual transmission of 35TWh.