China on Sunday began construction of an ultra-high voltage power transmission line in what is claimed to be the world's largest capacity power line in the country's far western Xinjiang region.
The 800 kv ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission line connects the energy base of Hami prefecture in eastern Xinjiang with the central city of Zhengzhou, according to the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), the project contractor.
The 2,210-kilometer line goes through the vast region of Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan. Costing 23.39 billion yuan ($3.7 billion), the power highway is designed to have a transmission capacity of eight million kw upon completion in 2014, setting up a new world record, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The line will transmit 37 billion kwh on an average annually, according to Liu Zhenya, General Manager of the State Grid Corporation of China. Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the construction launch ceremony in Xinjiang.
China also began construction of a second 750-kv HVDC transmission line which links Xinjiang with the main network of the Northwest China Grid Co. Ltd. on Sunday.
With an investment of 9.56 billion yuan ($1.51 billion), the 2,180-kilometer line will become the major route to transmit wind and solar power generated in Hami prefecture, Jiuquan city of Gansu province, and Qaidam basin in Qinghai province to the rest of the country.
Construction of the ultra-high voltage power transmission lines (UHVT) comes as the country strives to transmit electricity from the energy-rich west to the booming central and eastern regions.
Xinjiang has two trillion tons of coal reserve, one third of which is in Hami, which is also one of the China's major wind power bases. China's large energy bases are mostly distributed in the west and north, more than 2,000 kilometer from the power network load centers in the eastern and central regions, said Zhang Guobao, head of an expert advisory committee under the National Energy Administration. "The ultra-high power transmission lines are a way out for the country's imbalanced distribution of energy reserve," Zhang said.
UHVPT projects, however, have met many obstacles, as some doubt whether the technology is mature enough and can bring about economic benefit.
China has been suffering prolonged and ever worsening power shortage in recent years, a driving force for the country to develop long-distance, high-voltage power transmission lines.
Starting from March 2011, an unprecedented power shortage swept most southern and eastern provinces and municipalities, with a supply gap of 30 million kilowatts, according to the China Electricity Council.
"In spite of the controversy, the projects will continuously be carried forward," said Zhou Fengqi, Deputy President of China Energy Society.
Industry insiders have said the State Grid Corporation of China will push for the construction of four alternating current and three direct current ultra-high voltage power transmission lines across the country with an investment exceeding 300 billion yuan ($47.45 billion) in 2012 alone.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Political News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.