Green Power Energizes the Tea Industry in Huanggang, Hubei

As the Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping) Festival approaches, new buds are sprouting from rows of tea trees on the hillside plantations of Leijiadian Town, Yingshan County, Huanggang City. In the morning light, tea farmers with baskets at their waists let their nimble fingers fly across the tender tea shoots.

Power company staff inspecting the power supply lines for the tea plantation. Photo by Yao Wenzhang

Inside Ke Youpeng's tea factory in Wanchong Village, several tea pan-firing machines roar into operation. "In the past, we used firewood and coal, which made it difficult to control the heat and caused a lot of pollution. Now, we've switched entirely to electric tea processing. The costs have dropped, and we can maintain continuous production in spring and summer," said Ke Youpeng, pointing to the new equipment. "The tea farmers' income has also doubled," he added.

Tea being processed. Photo by Yao Wenzhang

Tea is the pillar industry of Wanchong Village. Rows of photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged, supplying green electricity to the village's tea enterprises. "On cloudy days there's little output, power runs scarce in the evenings, and peak hours always made us anxious," recalled Feng Xiang, director of the Leidian Power Supply Station.
To ensure a stable power supply for the tea enterprises, Feng Xiang and his team designed tailored photovoltaic energy storage systems for local tea factories — essentially building a "green power pool" for each factory. When solar generation is abundant around midday, surplus electricity is stored in the system. During cloudy periods or evening peak hours, that stored electricity is then released steadily.
Today, the energy storage equipment operates reliably beside the tea factory. "The 'green power pool' really works. The voltage is stable now, and I feel at ease," said Ke Youpeng with a smile.
From weather-dependent firewood-and-coal processing to today's solar-plus-storage green power model, Yingshan County has forged a new path of coordinated development between the tea industry and ecological protection. Since the beginning of 2025, State Grid Yingshan County Power Supply Company has newly built and upgraded a total of 60.92 kilometers of lines and added or upgraded 47 transformers with a total capacity of 10,800 kVA, building a reliable grid to steadily deliver green electricity across the tea-growing region.