State Grid Zhangye Power Supply Company: Guardians of the “Power Granary” at the Foot of the Qilian Mountains

Employees conduct inspections to ensure safe electricity use

Snow blankets the land beneath the Qilian Mountains. In Banqiao Town, Linze County, Zhangye, Gansu Province, the Yangtaishan 300 MW/1,200 MWh independent shared energy storage power station has entered the grid-connected commissioning phase. Invested in and constructed by Zhangye Development Investment Group, the station includes a newly built dedicated 330 kV step-up substation. It is connected to the 330 kV side of the Jiansheng Substation via a 330 kV transmission line. On January 12, employees from the Zhangye Power Supply Company carried out pre-grid-connection inspections at the station.

An aerial view of the Yangtaishan 300 MW/1,200 MWh independent energy storage power station in Zhangye, Gansu Province

Once connected to the grid, this energy storage power station will utilize an intelligent dispatching mode of  characterized by low storage, high release. This will effectively stabilize fluctuations in renewable energy output and provide various auxiliary services to the power grid, such as peak shaving and frequency regulation. Liu Kai, the head of the operation and maintenance team at the Yangtaishan Energy Storage Power Station, explained that the Hexi Corridor experiences frequent wind and snow in winter, posing risks of ice accumulation on transmission lines. In response, power supply employees have formulated an operation and maintenance plan involving "daily infrared temperature monitoring and weekly ice inspections." They have also advised the station's maintenance personnel to carry out low-temperature adaptations on critical components such as the valves and flanges of step-up power converter units and install thermal insulation covers. These measures aim to reduce the impact of cold weather on the equipment and ensure the safe and stable operation of the energy storage power station. (Text/Photo by Cheng Gang)