Business & IndustryAnalysis

Gansu Section of Ultra-High-Voltage Power Line to Zhejiang Completed

The cross-country transmission project overcame its sole Yellow River crossing, keeping a 2027 commissioning target on track.

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Vibrant stripes of Zhangye Danxia's multicolored hills in China captured in daylight.
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The Brief

The Gansu section of the Gansu-Zhejiang ±800-kilovolt ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission line has been fully connected following the completion of stringing across the Yellow River, according to state media reports. Spanning 2,370 kilometers from Wuwei in Gansu to Shaoxing in Zhejiang, the cross-regional power corridor is designed to transmit more than 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually once fully operational in 2027, with clean power accounting for over 21.2 billion kilowatt-hours.

Why it matters

The engineering milestone clears the most technically demanding bottleneck along the entire 2,370-kilometer route. Once operational, the corridor will provide an essential link between the vast wind and solar installations across northwestern desert basins and the industrial load centers of coastal Zhejiang, reinforcing regional grid reliability while advancing China's clean-energy transition targets.

China context

The Gansu-Zhejiang project forms part of China's long-term 'West-to-East Power Transmission' strategy and broader national efforts to build a modern power grid capable of handling intermittent renewable energy. By channeling renewable power across six provinces via ultra-high-voltage direct-current lines, grid operators seek to curb curtailment in remote resource-rich regions and meet decarbonization goals in energy-intensive coastal provinces.

Editor's View

EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting. The completion of the Gansu stretch highlights China's continued execution speed on heavy infrastructure and ultra-high-voltage transmission technology. Moving large volumes of renewable power across thousands of kilometers is critical to resolving the geographical mismatch between China's energy resources and consumption centers. However, the project's ultimate impact will depend not only on stringing line across the remaining five provinces, but also on the timely delivery of converter stations and the commercial coordination needed to integrate intermittent renewable supplies into Zhejiang's local market without destabilizing grid operations.

What to watch

  • Transmission line construction and stringing progress across Ningxia, Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang.
  • Civil engineering and converter equipment installation at the Wuwei and Shaoxing ±800-kilovolt converter stations.
  • System commissioning and trial operations ahead of the targeted 2027 commercial launch date.

Key Takeaways

  • 1The Gansu segment of the Gansu-Zhejiang ±800-kilovolt transmission project is now fully connected after crossing the Yellow River.
  • 2The 2.731-kilometer river crossing required four specialized transmission towers to withstand canyon wind conditions.
  • 3The complete corridor spans 2,370 kilometers across six provinces, running from Wuwei in Gansu to Shaoxing in Zhejiang.
  • 4Targeted for completion in 2027, the line is planned to deliver over 36 billion kilowatt-hours annually, including over 21.2 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable power.
Construction teams have fully connected the Gansu section of the Gansu-Zhejiang ±800-kilovolt ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project following the successful completion of wire stringing across the Yellow River, according to reports published by People's Daily. The final four-bundle conductor was positioned at the boundary between Jingtai and Jingyuan counties in Baiyin, Gansu province. The river span represents the sole Yellow River crossing along the entire route and was considered the critical path milestone for the Gansu provincial segment. According to State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company, the Yellow River section presented severe environmental and engineering challenges, including rugged terrain and high-velocity winds sweeping through the river canyon. Construction crews erected four new steel transmission towers and implemented an independent tension section spanning 2.731 kilometers to negotiate the crossing while meeting strict precision and safety standards. The Gansu-Zhejiang transmission line is a key priority within China's national power development planning. Stretching 2,370 kilometers, the line originates at the Wuwei converter station in Gansu and terminates at the Shaoxing converter station in Zhejiang, traversing six provincial-level administrative divisions: Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang. The line is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2027. Once commissioned, the infrastructure is projected to deliver over 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually from western energy reserves to eastern coastal manufacturing centers. Renewable energy sources are expected to account for more than 21.2 billion kilowatt-hours of that total annual throughput, supporting carbon emission reduction goals and balanced regional economic development.