Overview of China's hydropower absorption: evolution, problems, and suggested solutions

Abstract

China has experienced an unprecedented increase in hydropower development with the implementation of the 'West-East Electricity Transfer' project. Its total hydropower capacity has reached 350 GW, of which nearly one-third is transmitted to the load centre through an ultra-high-voltage power network. However, the absorption of abundant hydropower in southwest China is still a challenge, with increasing hydropower curtailment each year. This study provides an overview of the evolution of hydropower absorption, analyses the major problems and possible causes, and suggests several technical solutions. It is suggested to optimise the generation operations with power network limitations and transmission schedules to make full use of transmission channels and improve operational flexibility. Meanwhile, receiving power grids should coordinate the operations between southwestern hydropower and their local plants, and hydropower allocation among subordinate power grids. The differences in operation characteristics, regulation ability, and load demands will be helpful for efficiently absorbing large-scale outer hydropower. Reasonable economic incentives and compensation mechanisms are considered as another method to alleviate hydropower curtailment. Ancillary service market and discrepant electricity prices during different receivers and different periods are suggested. The overall analysis results indicate that there is great space for promoting hydropower absorption under existing transmission channel conditions.

Research on Fault Identification of Hybrid Multi-Feed High-Voltage Direct Current System Based on Line Commutated Converter and Voltage Source Converter

“…Western China is rich in clean power resources, and the power generation far exceeds the regional needs. Under the background of the goal of "double carbon", the domestic demand for large-scale new energy consumption and offshore wind power access is increasing [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Therefore, China has invested a lot of manpower and material resources in the construction of power transmission channel.…”

Study on Flow Characteristics of Francis Turbine Based on Large-Eddy Simulation

“…Due to the increasing importance of renewable energy, the integration of renewable energy requires greater flexibility in the power grid. Hydroelectric units have to frequently change working conditions to cope with fluctuations in grid load, and this means that hydroelectric units will have more time under partial load conditions [2]. The turbine is the core equipment of the hydropower unit, and the most common type of turbine is the Francis turbine.…”

Hydropower Pricing Options for Cross-Border Electricity Trading in China Based on Bi-Level Optimization

“…As the most extensive source of clean and renewable energy, hydropower bears the brunt of a growing load demand and low-carbon energy-saving production [3]. In China, hydropower installed capacity and annual power rank first in the world, and by the end of 2020, at least 30% of national hydropower resources remain available for development [4], however, these resources are concentrated in international rivers [5], such as Yarlung Zangbo -Brahmaputra River, Lancang -Mekong River, etc. The unique geographical location and sensitive political influence will lead to huge impediment.…”