New Main Transformers Commissioned at 500 kV Shanghe Substation in Huai’an, Jiangsu

On June 15, two domestically manufactured 1,000 MVA main transformers at the 500 kV Shanghe Substation in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, successfully completed trial operations and were officially commissioned. This capacity expansion project, a key initiative by the State Grid Corporation of China to ensure reliable power supply during the summer peak, adds approximately 500 MVA of transformer capacity to the East China power grid, significantly strengthening its stability and reliability for the upcoming summer season.

Technicians conduct startup and commissioning work

Photo by Chen Yan

Since its commissioning in 1999, Shanghe Substation has been in operation for 26 years. As equipment aged and electricity demand increased in the region, the original pair of 750 MVA imported main transformers could no longer meet current supply needs. In the second half of 2024, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. launched a series of upgrade projects at the substation. Huai’an Power Supply Company, a subsidiary of State Grid, was responsible for the acceptance testing of the main transformer capacity expansion and the upgrade of the 220 kV distribution system.

Technicians conduct commissioning and startup work

Photo by Chen Yan

Faced with challenges such as extensive cross-system operations and high safety management pressures, Huai’an Power Supply Company established a dedicated project team. The team proactively identified key risk points, developed control measures, and implemented effective coordination and closed-loop management throughout the acceptance testing process to ensure the new equipment was commissioned with zero defects.

“The successful commissioning of this project has revitalized this aging substation. The replacement of core equipment with domestically manufactured alternatives not only highlights China’s power equipment manufacturing capabilities but also provides crucial support for the safe and stable operation of the national ‘West-to-East Power Transmission’ strategy and the ‘North-to-South Power Transmission’ within the East China Power Grid,” said Xi Wenbing, Director of the 500 kV Substation Operation and Maintenance Center at Huai’an Power Supply Company.(Written and photographed by Guo Ling and Wang Qiuchen)