By the Numbers｜How Amazing Is This Power Grid?

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Under the strong leadership of the Party, China makes progress in various undertakings with each passing day. As an important infrastructure for the national economy and people's livelihood, power grid has played an important role in rural revitalization and economic and social development. In order to capture the success stories of China's power sector, SGCC TOP launched this series of "By the Numbers: China's Power Sector".

In the eyes of the world,

China has created

an amazing miracle in the power sector.

Overlooking from space at night,

the land of China is ablaze with bright lights.

The scattered and sprawling power grids

bring light to every corner of China.

▲Views of Beijing at night. Image Source: Visual China Group

How big is China's power grid?

It is by no means too much to say that it is connected to the entire Chinese mainland.

01

Access to electricity for all

China's transmission lines are very long.

In 1949,

transmission lines of 35 KV and above in China

were 6475 kilometers long.

In 2019, they reached 1.975 million kilometers,

increasing by about 305 times in the past 70 years,

which is equivalent to 49 laps around the equator.

The capacity of the transformers of 35 KV and above

has also increased 2162 times in the past 70 years.

Behind the dazzling numbers

is the unimaginable perseverance and determination.

Access to electricity for all, from every town to every village,

and from every village to every household,

Chinese people have constructed a power grid with transmission lines,

and step by step turned

the dream of "If you want light, there will be light"

into a reality.

China's power grid enterprises,

despite the costs and the prices,

have testified their commitments with practical actions.

Even if it was only for one household,

access to electricity was justified;

Even if they had to overcome difficulties at dangerous mountains and plateaus,

they would risk their lives to put up transmission lines.

▲Power grid workers had to carry oxygen cylinders to climb a tower for maintenance in Chawu Township, Lazi County at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Photographed by: Zhao Qingpeng

So, we saw that

they have set new boundaries for life,

pushed the limits of survival,

lit up the roof of the world,

and even connected the Everest Base Camp to the power grid.

On April 12, 2014,

as a 10 KV power supply line was switched on for power transmission,

the Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,200 meters

was formally connected to the power grid.

By extending the large power grid, power grid workers

have made 1011 households in 21 villages along the way

have access to reliable electricity.

▲Power grid workers were setting up poles at the Everest Base Camp. Image Source: State Grid Corporation of China

"Not one less!"

China has fulfilled its promises.

On December 23, 2015,

Guomang Village, Banma County, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and

Changjiang Village, Qumalai County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province

were connected to power grid.

The last 9,614 households and 39,800

people in China to whom electricity was not available also have access to electricity now.

▲Power grid construction team was setting up transmission lines in Qinghai Province. Photographed by: Wang Xiaogang

Electricity is a priority for rural revitalization.

With access to dynamic electricity,

villages started farming and e-commerce businesses,

bringing new hope for poverty alleviation.

By September 25, 2017,

three months ahead of schedule, State Grid Corporation of China had completed

the new round of rural power grid upgrading,

with an accumulated investment of 142.36 billion yuan,

connected 1.535 million farmland motor-pumped wells

in plain areas within its business area to power grids,

and achieved the goal of "Access to Electricity for Every Well" in the plain areas;

Accomplished for 66,000 small towns (central villages)

full coverage of power grid upgrading;

Completed for 78,000 natural villages

newly connection and transformation of dynamic electricity,

Achieved the goal of access to dynamic electricity for every village,

and benefited a population of 156 million.

▲Construction site of "Access to Electricity for Every Well" project. Photographed by: Li Wenbo

The "Three Districts and Three Prefectures" were brightly lit.

Sufficient electric energy was supplied through transmission lines across mountains and ridges,

to the general public

who started to have access to the safe, reliable and stable large power grid,

from access to electricity to access to better electricity.

By June 30, 2020,

within the business area of State Grid Corporation of China,

in the "Three Districts and Three Prefectures", areas of extreme poverty,

the power grid construction had been fully completed.

Since then, five provinces (autonomous regions) including Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang,

and Tibet, with 198 poverty-stricken counties,

4.43 million households and 17.77 million residents

had access to electricity from the large power grid.

▲Members of the CPC Service Team of State Grid Corporation of China patrolled the 500 KV Ganshu I and II lines in Erlang Mountain, Ganzi, Sichuan Province. They were trudging in the snow against the backdrop of the sea of clouds. Photographed by: Sun Qi

Plateaus may lack oxygen but not electricity,

China's large power grid has realized

full coverage for all counties in the Chinese mainland.

On December 4, 2020,

The power grid project in the highest altitude area in the world-

Interconnection project of Ali and Zangzhong Power Grids was put into operation.

The last prefecture-level administrative region in the Chinese mainland

was officially connected to the large power grid.

The main power grid covered 74 counties (districts) across the region,

and Tibet has entered a new era of power grid.

▲220 KV Yangtou Landscape Tower at Ritubairong Mountain under starry sky. Photographed by: Zhang Xiaotan

In the desert,

as the night lights grow and gradually spread,

in the regions west of the Hu Line (or Heihe-Tengchong Line),

sporadic night light spots grow into large stretches of lights,

getting brighter and brighter.

From 2013 to 2019,

Provinces and regions west of the "Hu Line" covered by the power grids

saw growths in total electricity consumptions,

and economic development.

Wherein, completely located

west of the "Hu Line",

the total electricity consumptions of

Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia and Qinghai have increased by

153.2%、86.2%、

33.6%、5.9%，

153.2%, 86.2%,

33.6% and 5.9% respectively

and the nominal GDP growth rates were

110.21%、62.64%、

46.14%、41.17%。

110.21%, 62.64%,

46.14% and 41.17% respectively

As China's power grid expands,

the extending transmission lines

have brought the electricity that symbolizes hope,

as well the power of light,

to isolated islands, perilous peaks,

inaccessible precipices, and beyond.

▲Power grid workers were checking transmission lines tower by tower in Erlang Mountain, Ganzi, Sichuan Province. Photographed by: Sun Qi

So,

with electricity, schools in mountainous areas are lit up,

and remote villages start to set up factories.

This may be as the saying goes,

where there is light, there is hope.

02

Interconnecting power grids

China

has both electric capillaries over remote mountain areas and countryside,

and major power grid arteries running across the country.

In 1949,

For China's power grids,

the highest voltage level was 220 KV.

From high voltage to extra-high voltage, and to ultra-high voltage,

China's long-distance transmission technology moves ahead by leaps and bounds,

and voltage levels are also constantly being raised to new highs.

At present, for China's power grids,

the highest voltage levels have reached

1000 KV (AC) and ±1100 KV (DC).

China has become

the country with the highest voltage level in the world.

Over the past decades,

with the rising voltage levels in China,

the blueprint of "One National Power Grid" has been vividly revealed on the paper.

In 1981, China's first

500 KV ultra-high voltage power transmission line-

Pingdingshan-Wuchang power transmission and transformation project was completed,

and the interconnection of Hubei and Henan provincial power grids was strengthened.

▲500 KV Pingdingshan-Wuchang Power Transmission and Transformation Project. Image Source: State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company

In 1986,

the ± 500 KV Gezhouba-Shanghai

DC transmission grid started construction.

In 1990, the bipolar lines of the project were put into operation,

connecting Hubei Province with Shanghai,

about 1000 kilometers apart,

and opened the curtain of cross-regional interconnection.

▲Gezhouba Water Control Project. Image Source: State Grid Hubei Electric Power Company

China's power grid

focused on provincial and cross-provincial power grid construction,

and gradually formed seven

Cross-provincial power grids with 500 KV transmission lines as connection lines -

Northeast China, North China, East China,

Central China, Northwest China, Sichuan and Chongqing and Southern China Power Grids.

In 2010,

the 750 KV Interconnection Project of Xinjiang and Northwest power grids was put into operation,

"Eastward Power Transmission from Xinjiang" officially started.

▲750 KV Interconnection Project of Xinjiang and Northwest main power grids. Image Source: State Grid Corporation of China

In December 2011,

Interconnection Project of Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid was put into operation.

The asynchronous interconnection of Tibet and Northwest power grids was realized,

which marked that except Taiwan province,

the interconnection pattern of national power grids has basically taken shape.

▲Interconnection Project of Qinghai-Tibet Power Grids. Photographed by: Wang Jianjun

China's power grid has transformed

from independence and decentralization in the early year of New China,

to interconnection and mutual supply through years of development.

Meanwhile, an array of

long-distance, cross-regional and full-capacity

"power fast lanes"

got through the "eight extraordinary meridians" of

energy delivery in China,

and ushered in the era of

"West-East Electricity Transmission and North-South Power Transmission".

Clean energy and coal resources

buried silently in western and northern China,

have been transformed into reliable electricity,

and poured into

the outposts of eastern and central China for the sake of economic construction.

The long-lasting problem of

reverse distribution of energy and demand in China

got a solution.

▲Distribution Map of Coal, Wind Energy and Solar Energy Resources in China.

It marks a trans-century "Heaven and Earth Exchanging"

in China's energy map.

Labeled as "Created in China" and "Led by China",

UHV transmission technology began to strut its stuff.

So, we saw that

in 2009,

The world's first commercially operated UHV AC line,

1000 kV Jindongnan-Nanyang-Jingmen UHV AC Demonstration Project,

independently developed, designed and built by China,

was put into operation,

enabling the North China Power Grid and Central China Power Grid

to complement each other.

▲1000 KV Jindongnan-Nanyang-Jingmen UHV AC Demonstration Project. Photographed by: Xu Ke

In June 2010,

the world's first UHV DC project

Yunnan-Guangdong ±800 KV

UHVDC Transmission Demonstration Project was put into full operation,

to transmit hydropower in Yunnan

with more than 1,400 kilometers of silver wire

to Guangzhou, lighting up thousands of homes there.

▲Yunnan-Guangdong ±800 KV UHVDC Transmission Demonstration Project. Source: China Southern Power Grid

In 2018,

the world's highest-voltage UHV project

Zhundong-Huadong (Wannan) ±1100 KV

UHVDC Transmission Project was put into operation.

With a total length of 3,324 kilometers,

it crosses the natural moats of the Qinling Mountains and the Yangtze River,

and lights up the lamps in East China with the wind of Xinjiang.

The voltage level, transmission capacity,

transmission distance and technical difficulty of the project

all lead the world.

▲Zhundong-Huadong (Wannan) ±1100 KV UHVDC Transmission Project. Source: State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Corporation

In December 2020,

the world's first UHV project to

deliver all clean energy,

Qinghai-Henan ±800 KV

UHV DC Transmission Project was put into use,

which can transport, from Qinghai to Henan,

40 billion kWh of clean energy,

allowing Henan to burn 18 million tons less raw coal every year.

▲The line of the Qinghai-Henan ±800 KV UHV DC Transmission Project passes through Funiu Mountain. Source: State Grid Henan Electric Power Company

At present, China has built

the world's largest

UHV AC/DC hybrid power grid.

By the end of 2020,

"14 AC and 16 DC" UHV transmission projects

have been completed and put into operation nationwide.

▲Source: State Grid's CSR Report and China Southern Power Grid's CSR Report

▲UHV Dense Transmission Channel. Photographed by: Wei Zhen

China,

relying on its economic growth,

has conquered technical problems of UHV transmission

that bothered European and American countries for decades,

built a big grid

with UHV as the main skeleton,

and created a world-level exemplar

of interconnected energy transmission channels.

At present, China is not only the only country in the world

that masters the core UHV technology

with the capability of complete equipment manufacturing

and its commercial operation,

but also one of the international standard setters

in the field of UHV transmission.

▲Jiuhua UHV Dense Channel in Chizhou, Anhui Province, which is the throat of "West-East Electricity Transmission". Photographed by: Gao Xiaobing

We are proud to say that

in the area of power transmission and transformation,

China is leading the world.

03

Warm Heart Warm Home

Since 2009, China's power grid

rose to "No.1 in the world" in scale.

On whether China's power grid is stable or not,

Indian netizens raised a soul searching question:

Does China provide electricity 24/7/365?

A foreigner who has worked in China for years

shared his experience:

"I've lived in China for five years,

and have been without electricity for only once, for 15 minutes,

caused by a typhoon.

Except that, there was no power outage, even for once.

I have been to many villages in fourth-and fifth-tier cities in China,

but never suffered a power cut."

These figures of

power supply reliability rate,

which are above 99% and counted to N decimal places

may be the most intuitive expression.

The reliability indices of power grid in some areas of China

even surpass that of major cities in developed countries in the world.

In 2020,

The reliability rate of power supply in Shanghai reached 99.992%,

and that of the downtown area even hit "Five Nines",

that is, over 99.999%,

reaching 99.9991%.

"Five Nines" means that, on average,

the power outage for every customer throughout the year shall not exceed 5 minutes.

Reliability of power supply in downtown Shanghai

outperforms that of New York, London, Paris and other mega cities,

and has stepped into the world's leading ranks.

▲From January to April 2020, the average power outage duration of each customer in downtown Shanghai was less than 0.4 minutes, being only 0.007 for each household. Source: State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Company

China is leading the world today in safe power grid operation

and power supply reliability.

Over the past two decades, China's power grid system

is the only big power grid that hasn't suffered a blackout.

Electric power takes the lead in economic growth.

Escorted by a strong power grid,

the electricity keeps flowing, followed by

a stable economy and inner peace of people.

▲Night view of Wuhan. Photographed by: Huang Xiaohui

So, we saw that

though affected by the epidemic,

in 2020,

for the first time, China's GDP exceeded 100 trillion yuan.

And the growth rate of GDP

resembles with that of electricity consumption of the whole society,

up by 2.3% and 3.1%, respectively,

showing a fulfilling upward trend,

and bringing a V-shaped reversal to China's economy.

In fighting against the epidemic,

when American residents suffered from power outages due to arrears,

China's power grid enterprises,

promised earlier not to cut off power supply due to arrears!

During the epidemic prevention and control period,

residents could get access to electricity even their bills were overdue.

Producers of epidemic prevention and control materials

who couldn't afford to pay the bills

due to shortage of liquidity

were allowed to be in arrears amid the period.

Around the globe, China is the only country that managed to provide consistent power supply to its 1.4 billion population

during the epidemic!

▲The staff of State Grid Customer Service Center worked 7/24 to provide online services and accept customer demands. Photographed by: Zhu Di

Facing the extreme cold wave in early 2021,

when more than 5.5 million households

in America suffered blackouts,

electricity consumption in more than 10 districts, cities and provinces in China

smashed historical records frequently.

And the power grid also operated safely and stably.

When American residents received in the cold wave

outrageous bills mounting to tens of thousands of dollars,

Chinese residents enjoyed

electricity prices that have not changed for 15 consecutive years.

Yes, what accompanies you

day in and day out,

in addition to "Xinwen Lianbo" and the "Journey to the West",

is China's electricity price.

▲Power supply staff patrolled the transmission lines in high mountain areas after heavy snow. Photographed by: Zhu Liping

In fact, even an 0.001% increase in power supply reliability rate

never comes easily.

What is visible is light,

while what is invisible is energy.

Behind every beam of light,

there's always a surging of strength.

To make the power grid operate more stably,

China's installed power generation capacity and power generation

both ranked first across the world.

Backed up by sufficient electric energy,

China's industrial development is in full gear

to improve people's living standards.

▲The 10 million kilowatt wind power base at Jiuquan. Image Source: State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company

To provide continuous power supply,

China's power grid has upgraded itself,

making duplicate supply and even multiple feed

become standard in many cities.

UAV patrol, robot operation,

virtual AI distribution network dispatchers,

as well as DC de-icers,

are paired up to melt ice at any designated point……

▲State Grid staff worked with robots to patrol power equipment in the 1000 KV Huainan Substation. Photographed by: Song Weixing

To make the power grid operate more stably,

staff of China's power grid, with pioneering efforts,

risk their lives to explore the way,

and hold a safe lead in live working.

Hence the world's first ±1100 KV live working,

and the world's first live working by helicopter sling become true...

Known as the "dancer on the tip of the knife"

live working personnel of power grid

have risen to all sorts of challenges and difficulties,

making China

a world leader in UHV live working technology.

▲The first live working by helicopter sling on the ±1100 KV UHV line, the world's highest voltage level. Source: State Grid Anhui Electric Power Company

To make the power grid operate more stably,

in the face of disasters,

the whole country, united as one

to support each other

for disaster relief and electricity protection.

In fighting against the epidemic,

China's power grid staff raced against time

"to bring electricity to where there is a newly built hospital",

and to "provide follow-up safeguard measures

where there are key customers."

▲Power supply staff laid cables on the construction site in Leishenshan Hospital, Wuhan. Photographed by: Zuo Weibing

To make the power grid operate more stably,

in summer,

they sweat profusely.

▲The power supply staff braved the high temperature of 40 degrees Celsius to carry out tower climbing operation on the ±660 KV Yindong DC line. Photographed by: Xu Ke, Wei Maochun

In winter,

they fought the ice and snow.

▲No other eye black is as cool as this one! The power supply staff braved the low temperature of minus 32 degrees Celsius to guarantee electricity supply. Ice flowers formed on their eyelashes after work. Photographed by: Han Bing

On the plateau,

they want to have a try and compare their heights with the sky.

Above the precipice,

they soar up to ninety thousand miles.

▲The way to work for power grid employees in the transmission channel of "West-East Electricity Transmission" in the unpopulated area of Daliang Mountains is an almost vertical steel ladder on the cliff, with a deep dark chasm below. Photographed by: Liao Wang

Take the mission on shoulders,

and keep the people in mind.

Where there's light, there's peace of mind and hope.

▲Thirteen employees of a power supply company, all of whom are Communist Party members, set up a power supply guarantee team for the Huoshenshan Hospital. Photographed by: Xu Long

It's not

feather-like words,

but

solemn commitment of China's power grid enterprises.

A wire, no matter how long, has an end,

which is exactly where there is light.

A mountain, no matter how steep, has a height,

at the top of which there are traces of surpassing towers.

A road, no matter how far, has a direction,

stretching towards the distance where the silver wire extends.

A home, no matter how small, is filled with warmth

and happiness because of the very existence of family members.

▲Guard the myriad twinkling lights. Image Source: State Grid Corporation of China

We'll bring electricity,

wherever you are,

whether the center for economic development

or routes of rural revitalization,

to outline the light and shadow in a myriad of homes.

Illuminate the whole of China,

and warm the world.

People remain the all-the-time top priority of the power supply industry.

China's power grid

seeks to interconnect the world.