Gansu Thermal Peak-Shaving Plant Guarantees Stable Green Power Delivery to Hunan via ±800kV Qishao HVDC Corridor

According to China Energy News, vast volumes of renewable power generated from wind and solar installations in Gansu’s Guazhou Gobi are transmitted thousands of kilometres to power-intensive industrial and residential load centres across central China through the ±800kV Qishao UHVDC transmission route, the country’s pioneering large-scale dedicated channel for long-distance clean power export. Consistent full-capacity operation and high penetration of green power along this cross-provincial energy artery rely entirely on tailored peak-regulation support and robust technical systems supplied by Changle Power Plant under Gansu Provincial Electric Investment Group.

As the core industrial leader within Gansu’s full electricity value chain, Gansu Provincial Electric Investment Group aligns all operational planning with national energy frameworks and undertakes peak-balancing responsibilities exclusively for the Qishao HVDC scheme to unlock the corridor’s full strategic value. Cumulative power volumes dispatched from Changle Power Plant to Hunan have surpassed 77.5 billion kilowatt-hours since 2020, of which over 70 billion kilowatt-hours correspond to wind and solar electricity transmitted across inter-regional grids. These operational metrics validate the plant’s central buffer function for volatile renewable generation, forming solid backing for local absorption of Gansu’s clean energy resources, nationwide cross-provincial green power interchange and low-carbon upgrades of national energy sectors.

Dedicated Peak-Shaving Capacity Delivers Two-Way Regional Energy Coordination

Gansu holds abundant wind and solar reserves, yet power output from renewable assets carries inherent volatility and intermittency. Establishing an integrated transmission framework built around renewable generation supported by flexible thermal peak regulation forms the core solution to mitigate curtailment risks and maximise throughput capacity of ultra-high voltage transmission infrastructure.

Changle Power Plant operates as the sole bespoke peak-balancing facility matched to the Qishao HVDC line, a landmark national strategic development designed to rationalise national energy layout and secure cross-regional power supply stability. Construction work broke ground in September 2017, with the first phase comprising four 1,000MW generating units entering full commercial operation in December 2023. To satisfy power security targets and renewable expansion schedules laid out for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the second phase featuring another two 1,000MW units commenced construction in April 2023 and reached full operational readiness in October 2025. Completion of all works delivers a total installed capacity of 6,000MW, marking Gansu’s first large thermal power complex built on gigawatt-scale unit technology and the world’s largest single thermal facility dedicated purely to grid peak regulation.

The facility carries multi-layer strategic missions covering Gansu’s local energy transition, power supply security for Hunan and coordinated cross-provincial development between Gansu and Hunan. Generating units are precisely calibrated to match differentiated load adjustment demands of the Qishao HVDC route, unlocking untapped western renewable resources while filling electricity supply shortfalls across central China. The installation acts as a core pivot for the national West-to-East Power Transmission initiative, enabling complementary energy circulation and balanced economic progress across eastern and western regions.

Expanded Corridor Throughput Lifts Proportion of Transmitted Clean Energy

Full commissioning of all peak-regulation units at Changle Power Plant has lifted the Qishao HVDC line’s maximum transmission capacity from an initial 2,400MW to 6,000MW. This capacity expansion fully activates the ultra-high voltage corridor and delivers dependable flexible balancing capacity to support regular large-scale export of Gansu’s wind and solar power, easing systemic bottlenecks that previously limited local renewable absorption and reshaping Gansu’s overall energy mix.

Greater transmission limits create additional bandwidth for renewable power by leveraging flexible ramp-up, ramp-down and full stop-start functionality of Changle’s large thermal generating blocks. Steady commissioning of the first-phase units drove continuous growth in the share of clean power carried on the Qishao HVDC line, rising from an early baseline of roughly 20 per cent to a peak of 47 per cent. The composite annual proportion of renewable electricity transmitted has remained above 40 per cent for four consecutive years. Stable, high-efficiency delivery of Gobi-sourced green electricity sustains residential power consumption and low-carbon industrial expansion across Hunan province.

Refined Operational Management Reinforces Reliable Green Power Transit

Rigorous refined, standardised and closed-loop operational governance is implemented across Changle Power Plant to sustain uninterrupted secure power delivery along the Qishao HVDC corridor, establishing triple-layer safety safeguards covering generating equipment, provincial grid networks and cross-regional power export routes.

Continuous optimisation of unit startup and shutdown operational curves minimises mechanical wear and extends the full service lifespan of core generating hardware. A complete end-to-end management workflow is enforced, incorporating pre-shift technical briefings, on-site operational supervision and post-shift performance reviews to steadily refine peak-regulation response capabilities. Scheduled maintenance windows during standby periods are utilised to rectify equipment defects and eliminate hidden operational hazards, maintaining units in a responsive state capable of stable shutdowns, rapid restarts, full load carrying and flexible power reduction as grid dispatch requires.

Since the start of 2026, Changle Power Plant has completed 25 dedicated startup-shutdown peak regulation cycles, synchronising thermal output precisely with fluctuating renewable generation profiles and cross-provincial transmission dispatch timetables.

As a provincial flagship power generation enterprise, Gansu Provincial Electric Investment Group recorded total power output exceeding 41 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025, with annual operating revenue and industrial output value both breaking the RMB 10 billion threshold. Corporate profitability reached an all-time high, delivering balanced outcomes covering energy supply stability, green industrial transformation and commercial operational efficiency.

Parallel construction of new cross-regional transmission corridors including Gansu-Zhejiang, Gansu-Sichuan, Gansu-Hubei and Gansu-Jiangxi power links progresses steadily, constructing an interconnected high-capacity green power highway network originating in Gansu. Long-term development focus remains fixed on advancing the West-to-East Power Transmission strategy, delivering consistent operational support for national energy security and high-quality low-carbon growth across industrial sectors.

Independent power infrastructure analysts track replicated deployment of Gansu’s wind-solar-thermal coordinated transmission model across inland north-western provinces. Ongoing upgrades to ultra-high voltage control systems and flexible thermal peak regulation hardware will further raise the maximum allowable renewable power ratio on all cross-provincial transmission routes scheduled to enter service over successive development cycles.