The Xiaojinchuan River Basin solar power base in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province was fully connected to the grid on March 14, marking the beginning of full operation for China’s first cascade power generation project integrating water and photovoltaic power generation and storage. The facility, built by Power Construction Corporation of China, can generate electricity through hydro and solar power and support clean energy storage, thereby setting an example for the integrated development of river resources.
The power base, which covers about 2.15 square kilometers, has an installed capacity of 160,000 kilowatts. It is located at the plateau with an average altitude of 3,700 meters, and its voltage boosting and transmission lines are built at an elevation of 3,800 meters.
As an environmentally friendly demonstration project, it strikes a balance between animal husbandry and power generation. The panel arrays are installed 2 meters high above the ground, so livestock can feed on the grass between them and ecological restoration can proceed beneath them. Because of this, the power base can maintain the original land use, promote ecological restoration of the grasslands on the plateau and protect the traditional husbandry, thereby integrating clean energy development with rural vitalization in ecologically sensitive areas.
The power base´s connection to the grid verifies the technical feasibility of the coordinated operation of photovoltaic, energy storage, and hydropower systems under high-altitude and complex terrain conditions. It also enables the efficient, stable, and sustainable operation of new energy systems in ecologically sensitive areas and harsh high-altitude environments, providing a replicable and promotable example for building a new electricity system and for achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in West China.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
