Recently, a piece of news made hard headlines. A mega infrastructure project that costs over $1B was just launched in central China, with the promise of generating enormous amounts of renewable energy. This so-called pumped-storage project of 1200 Megawatts will be comprised of four 300 MW turbines. Each of the turbines alone is capable of generating more power than over 90% of solar farms in the US.
This great piece of engineering construction will certainly be a big step towards carbon neutrality. In the picture below taken at the inauguration of the project just last week, the project location name is poetic sounding: “Caiziba”or Rapeseed Heights. Although I have not traveled to that part of China, I know the reputation of that area for its beautiful blossoms of natural-grown rapeseeds in the spring. According to the news, due to its vicinity to the Three Gorges Dam that harness vast quantities of hydroelectric power, it was chosen to store the extra power that is generated by the turbines that was pushed relentlessly by the Yangtze River at night when electricity demand is much lower. It will use the excess power to propel water uphill into a man-made cavity, and when power is needed, simply unleash the water from the cavity, so this artificial river generates electricity when needed.
Fig. 1 Caiziba Pumped Storage project near Three Gorges, July 2023
The Karst landscape where the construction will take place is both a blessing and curse. The limestone formation is easier to carve but very porous. If you have ever watched the Amazon Prime movie “Thirteen Lives” about a group of Thai youth trapped in a waterlogged cave and their ultimate rescue, you will know that the landscape is fragile, dangerous, while breathtakingly beautiful. Just imagine how the super-sized digging machinery, heavy-duty trucks will make their way to the construction site, where I would have guessed no modern roads are present? Think about the environmental destruction all these actions will cause, and how the debris runoff will be quickly spread about a pristine landscape by the abundant water.
Fig. 2 Wulong Karst National Geology Park, in the vicinity of project
I receive this news with a mixed feeling. The way that the gigantic pumps utilize excess hydroenergy is innovative. It could be a great alternative to lithium batteries which carry its own environmental footprints and safety concerns. But it also means large impact on the native landscape that is already fragile. Look at the steep hills in the above picture, now a popular tourist site in central China. Will this verdant, scenic view be still around in five, ten years, when I may get a chance to visit? Or at least we will be blessed with surplus electricity for our insatiable needs? With that thought, I plugged in my Ipad to the charger because it is running low, and an injection of electricity is much needed and cannot be delayed.
Reference:
Chongqing Fengjie Caiziba Million Kilowatt Pumped Storage Project Commences–Seetao
