Zhongwei, Ningxia: Green Development Gains Momentum, Supporting the Successful Commissioning of Ningxia’s First Long-Duration Energy Storage Power Station

Recently, it was reported that Ningxia’s first long-duration energy storage power station successfully completed three full charge-discharge cycles and a 72-hour trial operation. From the Gobi Desert to a “green energy ocean,” Zhongwei is witnessing a vigorous wave of green transformation in its energy sector.

As the first long-duration energy storage power station connected to the Ningxia power grid, Zhongwei Power Supply Company has focused on six key areas—top-level design, safety control, technical support, operation optimization, equipment maintenance, and marketing services. It has established six dedicated joint task forces to provide one-to-one tracking services for the storage facility. These efforts ensure timely follow-up on the project’s progress, offer commissioning consultation prior to grid connection, and deliver technical support, training, scientific operation and maintenance, and rational repair planning post-connection. By effectively playing the role of storage in load shifting and power supply stabilization, the company is making full use of the grid’s “power bank,” paving a path toward integrated development of generation, grid, load, and storage.

The booming development of emerging industries such as new energy and energy storage is injecting strong momentum into high-quality economic and social development. From January to May, Zhongwei added 1.825 million kilowatts of new renewable energy capacity, ranking first in the region in terms of both the number of new renewable energy stations and installed capacity. Meanwhile, the energy storage industry is emerging as a “regulator” in Zhongwei’s energy transition. At 1:30 a.m. on May 31, the first converter of the Zaoyuan No.1 Energy Storage Station was connected to the grid, marking the successful commissioning of Ningxia’s first energy storage facility with a four-hour charge-discharge capacity. Later, at 7:12 p.m. on May 31, the first converter of the Maiduo Mountain No.1 Energy Storage Station was also connected to the grid, making it the second four-hour storage facility officially incorporated into Zhongwei’s power grid. With a total storage capacity of 880,000 kilowatt-hours, this project sets a new regional benchmark and provides continuous green energy to support Zhongwei as a model for energy transformation and contributes to building a beautiful new Ningxia.

As of May 31, Zhongwei’s total installed renewable energy capacity reached 12.1197 million kilowatts, accounting for 87.57% of the region’s total power generation capacity—the highest in Ningxia. This rapid growth is underpinned by the company’s forward-looking strategies and active deployment in grid-connection services and station operation management. Seizing the opportunity presented by the “Ningxia Power to Hunan” project, the company has optimized its management model by establishing a New Energy Division. Adhering to a user-oriented approach, it has implemented high standards and strict processes for grid-connection services, vigorously promoted renewable energy education and training, enhanced safety awareness among managers, and adopted advanced safety management technologies. These efforts have substantially improved the operation and maintenance capabilities of new energy stations. The company is firmly committed to the task of clean energy consumption, efficiently coordinating dispatch, planning, and renewable energy departments to adopt multiple measures to optimize the regulation capabilities of wind, solar, and storage power sources.

While ensuring scientific and precise dispatching, the company has also adopted a series of technical measures to explore the use of demand response mechanisms. Relying on the “New Energy Cloud” platform, it has digitized the entire business process to facilitate enterprise operations. This helps users coordinate demand response with wind and solar power generation in a complementary manner, optimize the overall generation plan for renewables, reduce repeated curtailment and power wastage, and continuously enhance the grid’s renewable energy absorption capacity.

With the imminent commissioning of the “Ningxia Power to Hunan” project, the development of the renewable energy industry will remain the main theme of Zhongwei’s power grid expansion. Ningxia Zhongwei Power Supply Company will continue to provide high-quality services, ensure the timely grid connection and consumption of clean energy, support the growth of ancillary industries for renewables, promote the healthy and orderly development of distributed renewable energy, and further advance the green transformation of the power grid. (By Chen Yu)