The first unit of the second phase of the Meizhou pumped storage power station in Guangdong, China, was put into operation on August 26, PowerChina has announced. It is the first pumped storage project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area launched during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The project was surveyed and designed by the Central South Institute and constructed by the Eighth Hydropower Bureau.
The Meizhou station has a total installed capacity of 2400MW, built in two phases. Each phase includes four 300MW reversible turbine units. Electromechanical installation and tunnel civil works were carried out by the Eighth Hydropower Bureau. Phase I began full operations in May 2022, completing construction in record time for a similar project in China. The first unit of Phase II was installed and commissioned in about 18 months, also setting a national record for speed of installation and commissioning.
Work is continuing on the remaining Phase II units, with full grid connection and power generation expected by the end of 2025. When completed, the power station will have an annual clean energy absorption capacity of about 7.2 million MWh. This is expected to reduce coal consumption by 2.18 million tons and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 5.9 million tons annually.
With a total investment of more than 10 billion yuan, the Meizhou Pumped Storage Power Station will provide peak-shaving, valley-filling, and frequency regulation for the regional power grid, improving the grid’s ability to integrate renewable energy and supporting the Greater Bay Area’s energy transition.
The Meizhou pumped storage facility comprises an underground powerhouse, upper and lower reservoirs connected through a water delivery system, and a ground switch station. The other components of the project include the main dam, auxiliary dam, spillway, inlet and outlet of the upper reservoir, cofferdam, diversion tunnel, main and auxiliary dam connecting road, and other auxiliary facilities.
