China's energy infrastructure reached a new milestone this week as the Tiantai pumped-storage hydropower station, the country's largest single-unit facility of its kind, commenced operations in Zhejiang Province. The first unit was successfully connected to the national grid on December 26, 2025, marking a significant step in addressing peak electricity demands and stabilizing power supply across eastern China.
The project represents a critical component of China's renewable energy strategy, providing crucial energy storage capacity to support intermittent solar and wind power generation. With eastern China experiencing rapid economic growth and urbanization, the plant's 3.6 gigawatt planned capacity will play a vital role in maintaining grid reliability during periods of high electricity consumption.
Engineers highlight the facility's innovative use of mountainous terrain to create upper and lower reservoirs, enabling efficient energy storage through water recycling. This development comes as China accelerates its transition to clean energy, with pumped-storage projects expected to account for 30% of national energy storage capacity by 2030 according to current industry projections.
