May 14, 2012

China’s energy consumption is higher than any other country and the Chinese face worse power shortages owing to it having the world’s largest population. Now the country is building the world’s largest capacity (worth 37 billion kWh transmission on an average annually) ultra-high voltage power transmission line. The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) is planning to connect the energy base of Hami prefecture in eastern Xinjiang with the central city of Zhengzhou. This transmission line will be 2,210 km long and will set up a new world record after it gets completed in 2014. The entire project is expected to cost USD 3.7 billion.

This giant construction move from China is taken up to transmit the power from western China, which has rich supply of electricity (being a major wind power base) to the eastern and central regions of China. This ambitious project invokes doubt from technologists about its efficiency and whether it is economically beneficial. But in spite of all this, China is taking it forward and the outcome remains to be seen.