World's First All-Clean Energy UHV Power Transmission Project Goes across Railway, River

Construction of the cross-railway and river section of the Qinghai-Henan ±800 kV ultra-high voltage (UHV) direct current (DC) power transmission project was completed by State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) on May 20.

A key part of the transmission line, the section goes across the Baoji-Chengdu Railway between Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces and the Jialing River.

The 150-ton main crossing towers are 500 meters above the river, which were spanned over 1,259 meters. Those three numbers are exceptional for projects of this type.

As the cross-river towers had to be built in mountains and over the river, such problems as limited construction site area and complicated air flow had to be overcome.

The completion of the cross-railway and river project was a signal that construction of the entire transmission line is coming to an end. Next, builders will prepare for adjustment and inspection as well as trial operation.

Construction of the Qinghai-Henan ±800 kV UHV DC power transmission project, the world's first all-clean energy UHV DC power transmission passage, started in November 2018.

Beginning from Hainan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province, the 1,562.87-kilometer line transits Gansu and Shaanxi provinces and terminates in Zhumadian of Henan province.

The project is expected to start service in December this year. From then on it will transfer about 40 billion kWh of clean power annually.

It's worth mentioning that the project plays a big role in employment, investment attraction and life styles in affected areas. With a total investment of 22.6 billion yuan ($3.18 billion), the project directly drove relevant industrial investment of more than 200 billion yuan and created nearly 10,000 jobs.

The project plays a significant role in promoting China's western development and coordinating development of the country's eastern and western regions. 

It will guarantee meeting the increasing power demands in Central China as the region's economy grows rapidly and at the same time contribute to precise poverty-alleviation battles in Qinghai and Gansu.

A view of the Jialing River [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)