China recently switched on its biggest ultra-high voltage, or UHV cross-river power line and transformer project.
The 500 kilovolt power line and transformer infrastructure runs from the Fengcheng River in Taizhou city, to Meili town in Wuxi city – all in East China's in Jiangsu province.
It was completed and launched into operation in Jingjiang city, administered by Taizhou, on July 2.
China's largest UHV power transmission line stretches across the Yangtze River, the longest river in the country. [Photo/WeChat ID: jingjiangfabu]
It is estimated that the maximum annual power transmission output will exceed 26 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of a medium-sized city.
The project is expected to provide strong support for the power supply in the Yangtze River Delta region, boosting its green and sustainable development capacity.
With a total length of 178 kilometers, the transmission line and infrastructure cost over 1.5 billion yuan ($200 million). It includes the construction of two 385-meter ultra-high transmission towers – said to be the world's tallest – spanning a distance of 2,550 meters across the Yangtze River.
Construction lasted nearly three years and a crack technical team was assembled to overcome a series of technical challenges, such as the assembly of the ultra-high towers and the installation of high-tension overhead transmission lines across the river.
During the build-out, new technologies and materials – such as cast steel nodes and steel core aluminum alloy stranded wires – were used for the first time.