On March 2, a press conference titled "Power Grid Takes the Lead in Kicking Off the '16th Five-Year Plan'" was held by the Provincial Government Information Office. During the conference, State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company announced its power grid development plan and key tasks for the "16th Five-Year Plan" period. The company outlined a strategy focused on "Five Major Efforts" to comprehensively empower Gansu's high-quality economic and social development, aiding the province's transition from a major energy producer to a strong energy province.
It was revealed that the province is concentrating its efforts on building a nationally significant base for new energy and new energy equipment manufacturing. By 2026, the province's installed capacity of new energy is projected to reach 100 million kilowatts, with an estimated increase to 160 million kilowatts by 2030. By that time, four pumped storage power stations are expected to be completed and operational.
At the press conference, State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company systematically explained its core work plans for power security, grid construction, and energy transition for the inaugural year of the "16th Five-Year Plan" period and the medium to long term. Anchored to the goal of transitioning from a major energy producer to a strong energy province, the company will focus its efforts on five key areas: ensuring a stable power supply, building a high-quality power grid, promoting energy transition, optimizing the business environment, and improving people's livelihoods, thereby providing a solid and reliable power guarantee for Gansu's modernization efforts.
Regarding reliable power supply, the company will firmly shoulder the political responsibility for energy security. It will continue to consolidate the province-wide coordinated supply guarantee framework, deepen a three-year campaign for fundamental improvements in safety production, and implement a special action plan to prevent major grid accidents. Furthermore, the company will accelerate the construction of a national-level Northwest Regional Power Emergency Base, enhance monitoring, early warning, and emergency response capabilities for extreme weather and geological disasters, steadily advance the construction of already-commenced coal power projects, and continuously increase the scale of adjustable power load to ensure the secure, stable operation of the main grid and reliable power supply.
In building a robust and high-quality power grid, the company will expedite the construction of ultra-high-voltage transmission corridors. It aims to achieve trial operation for the Gansu Power Transmission to Zhejiang project by the end of 2026 and secure approval and commence construction for the Gansu Power Transmission to Sichuan project within the year. Preliminary studies for two additional corridors, Kumtag and Badain Jaran, will also be conducted simultaneously. The target is to increase inter-provincial and inter-regional transmission capacity to 80 million kilowatts by 2030, a 73% increase from the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. Additionally, the company will implement a phased reinforcement of the 750-kilovolt Northern Corridor in the Hexi Corridor and the main grid framework in the southern part of the province. This will establish a backbone grid characterized by "east-west connectivity, north-south interconnections, and central crossovers." Total investment in grid construction during the "16th Five-Year Plan" period is planned to exceed 100 billion yuan, ensuring substation coverage extends to all major energy bases and load centers.
To drive energy transition, the company will focus on the 2026 target for new energy capacity. It will coordinate efforts related to grid connection, peak shaving, and consumption of new energy, deeply integrate into the development of a unified national electricity market, and utilize market-based mechanisms to expand channels for consuming new energy both within and outside the province. By actively employing innovative models such as green power aggregation, the company will support the orderly development of new business forms like zero-carbon industrial parks, zero-carbon factories, and virtual power plants. The goal is to ensure that over 70% of the province's incremental energy consumption during the "16th Five-Year Plan" period is met by domestic production, contributing Gansu's strength to the national energy strategy and carbon peak and neutrality goals.
For optimizing the power business environment, the company will benchmark against first-class national standards for electricity services. It will collaborate to create advanced demonstration zones and distinctive county models, fully deepen services characterized by "zero investment, zero approval, and zero worry" for low-voltage users and "time-saving, effort-saving, and cost-saving" for high-voltage users, and promote convenient models for residents and businesses. These include one-day service for residential applications, contractual service for major projects, and joint handling for water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications applications. The scope of "zero investment" for low-voltage power applications will be further expanded. The company will also precisely communicate electricity pricing policies to guide enterprises in optimizing their power consumption structure and reducing costs, while providing end-to-end tracking to ensure the power needs of major projects are met, facilitating early grid connection and operation for investment attraction and industrial relocation projects.
In improving social welfare and livelihoods, the company will continue to implement rural grid consolidation and upgrade projects to meet the electricity demands of emerging sectors like rural industries and charging facilities. It will cooperate in the renovation and takeover of non-directly supplied residential communities, dynamically resolve historical issues, and strengthen power supply services for key locations such as schools, urban villages, and old residential complexes. The company will advance the "Three Networks Co-construction" initiative and a three-year action plan to enhance power supply reliability, implement eight measures for high-quality power supply services, and utilize resources from 122 assisted villages to promote the construction of rural revitalization demonstration villages with tailored strategies. These efforts aim to continuously enhance the public's sense of gain, happiness, and security regarding electricity access.
At the press conference, a representative from State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company stated that the company would adopt a proactive and determined stance, fully embracing its role as a pioneer, main force, and driver in the power industry. It pledged to work hand-in-hand with all sectors of society to accelerate the transformation of Gansu's blueprint for becoming a strong energy province into reality, injecting stronger power momentum into the province's high-quality economic and social development.
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