A grid for tomorrow

Abstract

The Chinese government plans to establish ultra-high voltage (UHV) systems to transmit an additional 250 GW of electricity by 2020. The plan includes prioritizing the development of 60 GW of hydropower in the western part of China. To transport power from the west to the eastern and southern industrial centers in Shanghai and Guangdong, the government intends to utilize UHV 800 kV DC for bulk power transmission and UHV 800-1000 kV AC for interconnecting the regional AC networks in the east and south. With the national UHV grid, the government hopes to address the present status of imbalance between electricity supply and demand. The UHV grid also aims to promote electricity trading between different regions over different scales, optimizing the utilization of energy sources within large areas, meeting the requirements of economic development and creating competitive national energy markets.