On May 23, news emerged from China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) that Sichuan Province has successfully launched its first grid-connected energy storage power station at full capacity. The Sichuan Aba Hongyuan Yake Photovoltaic Power Station is located in Hongyuan County, Aba Prefecture, covering an area of 8,000 acres, which is equivalent to 784 standard football fields. This project is situated at an average altitude of 3,600 meters, featuring 76 photovoltaic array zones, a 220 kV booster station, and a lithium iron phosphate battery container storage system, with a total installed capacity of 250 megawatts.
This energy storage station, with a capacity of 50 megawatts, connects the storage batteries to the photovoltaic generation system, creating a grid equipped with automatic charging and discharging capabilities. It can charge or discharge up to 100,000 kilowatt-hours within two hours, enhancing daily power regulation efficiency and improving the safety and stability of the power grid, thereby optimizing power generation performance.
Once the project is fully operational, it is expected to generate approximately 450 million kilowatt-hours annually. This output is projected to save around 150,000 tons of standard coal each year compared to equivalent thermal power projects, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400,000 tons, which is equivalent to planting 20 million trees annually.
According to Zhao Hailong, commander of the project team from CSCEC, construction began in September 2024, with over 1,500 builders working simultaneously during peak periods. The project team overcame challenges related to the high altitude, cold temperatures, and frozen ground by employing a “first drill holes, then backfill” construction method. They completed the installation of 150,000 photovoltaic pile foundations in just 20 days and finished all tasks for the booster station and storage station in 75 days. During the installation of the photovoltaic panels, the team innovatively introduced photovoltaic robots, increasing installation efficiency by four times and completing the 200-megawatt photovoltaic array construction in just 45 days.
To reflect the characteristics of “pasture-photovoltaic complementarity,” the entire power generation area was designed to meet grazing requirements. During construction, intelligent warm shelters for alpine meadows were established, which cared for 18,000 square meters of stripped meadow, achieving a survival rate of 95%. This effort significantly minimized the disturbance to the plateau pastures. Additionally, to accommodate the grazing needs of local herdsmen, the lowest point of the mounting brackets was set 2 meters above the ground, enabling a dual green ecological development model of “power generation above and livestock farming below the panels.”
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