State Grid Zhangye Power Supply Company: Guardian of the ''Power Granary'' at the Foot of the Qilian Mountains

Employees check equipment for 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. Funded and established by Zhangye Development Investment Group, the station features a new dedicated 330 kV booster station, which is connected to the 330 kV side of Jiansheng Substation via a 330 kV transmission line. On January 12, employees from Zhangye Power Supply Company conducted pre-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 use intelligent dispatch strategies to store electricity during low-demand periods and release it during peak periods, effectively smoothing fluctuations in new energy output. It will also provide multiple auxiliary services for the power grid, including peak shaving and frequency regulation. According to Liu Kai, head of the operation and maintenance team at Yangtaishan Energy Storage Power Station, the Hexi Corridor experiences frequent wind and snow in winter, posing icing risks to transmission lines. In response, power supply employees have formulated an operation and maintenance plan combining daily infrared temperature monitoring with weekly ice inspections. They have also advised energy storage station operators to carry out low-temperature adaptations on key components such as valves and flanges of of the step-up converter units, and to install thermal insulation covers to reduce the impact of cold weather on equipment and ensure safe and stable operation of the energy storage power station. (Text/Photo by Cheng Gang)