en.Wedoany.com Reported - In March 2026, China's first integrated cascade hydro-PV-storage project, constructed by PowerChina, officially commenced operation in Xiaojin County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Located on the western Sichuan plateau at an altitude of 4,100 meters, the project integrates cascade hydropower stations in the Xiaojin River basin, 160,000 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity, and 16 MW/32 MWh grid-forming energy storage. It aims to address grid fluctuation challenges in high-altitude areas through multi-energy coordination, with an estimated average annual power generation of 950 million kilowatt-hours.
The project's core relies on the Chun Changba Variable-Speed Pumped Storage Demonstration Power Station, whose first domestically developed full-power variable-speed pumped storage unit in China was successfully connected to the grid in May 2022, breaking the foreign technology monopoly. Gou Hongjun from PowerChina's Xiaojin River General Plant stated: "This variable-speed unit responds quickly, capable of switching between charging and discharging within milliseconds, acting like a 'shock absorber' for the power grid." Through an intelligent dispatch system, the project has established a multi-level complementary system where cascade hydropower smooths slow fluctuations, variable-speed pumped storage mitigates fast fluctuations, and grid-forming storage fills instantaneous gaps.
As a benchmark green energy project, this integrated hydro-PV-storage project can save approximately 285,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 90,000 tons annually. In terms of ecological construction, the project implements a "ranching and photovoltaics complementarity" model, raising the PV panel supports over 2 meters to allow simultaneous electricity generation above and livestock grazing below. Statistics show that the project has created over 500 jobs during its construction and operation phases. Upon full operation, it is expected to contribute over 25 million yuan in annual taxes and profits, effectively increasing the income of local herders.
Deng Qinxuan, Deputy General Manager of PowerChina Hydropower Development Group Co., Ltd., pointed out that the patented technologies, dispatch models, and "black start" solutions accumulated from this project provide replicable experience for new energy development in high-altitude regions. With the stable operation of the integrated hydro-PV-storage project, the clean electricity it produces can meet the annual electricity needs of 600,000 households, providing solid support for regional energy security and rural revitalization.
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