Hongping Pumped Storage Power Station

The Hongping Pumped Storage Power Station is a 1,200 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric power station currently under construction about 11 km (6.8 mi) northwest of Hongping in Jing'an County of Jiangxi Province, China. Construction on the project began in June 2010. The first generator was commissioned in June 2014 and a second 1,200 MW phase is planned for completion in 2017. When fully operational, the power station will have an installed capacity of 2,400 MW. The power station operates by shifting water between an upper and lower reservoir to generate electricity. The lower reservoir is located on Hebei River and the upper reservoir is located in a valley above the north side of the lower reservoir. During periods of low energy demand, such as at night, water is pumped from Hongping Lower Reservoir up to the upper reservoir. When energy demand is high, the water is released back down to the lower reservoir but the pump turbines that pumped the water up now reverse mode and serve as generators to produce electricity. The process is repeated as necessary and the plant serves as a peaking power plant. It is operated by Jiangxi Hongping Pumped Storage Ltd.[1][2]

The lower reservoir is created by a 77.5 m (254 ft) tall and 181.25 m (594.7 ft) long roller-compacted concrete gravity dam on the Hebei River. It can withhold up to 54,140,000 m³ (43,890 acre⋅ft) of water, of which 35,470,000 m³ (28,760 acre⋅ft) can be pumped to the upper reservoir. The upper reservoir is created by a 44 m (144 ft) tall and 107 m (351 ft) long concrete gravity dam. It can withhold up to 27,060,000 m³ (21,940 acre⋅ft) of water, of which 6,300,000 m³ (5,100 acre⋅ft) can be used for power production. Water from the upper reservoir is sent to the underground power station down near the lower reservoir through two 1,318.2–1,296.5 m (4,325–4,254 ft) long headrace/penstock pipes. The power station contains four 300 MW Francis pump turbines. The difference in elevation between the upper and lower reservoir affords a hydraulic head (water drop) of 528 m (1,732 ft).[3]