On November 19, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Shaanxi Shanyang Pumped Storage Power Station was held. The Northwest Institute undertook the survey and design of this pumped storage power station, Sinohydro Bureau 4 undertook the construction of the ventilation and safety tunnel and the access traffic tunnel, Sinohydro Bureau 5 undertook the construction of the flood discharge and sediment flushing tunnel and the ecological water release tunnel, and Beijing Institute served as the supervisor.

The Shaanxi Shanyang Pumped Storage Power Station has been included in the National Energy Administration's Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan for Pumped Storage (2021-2035), and is one of the key implementation projects in Shaanxi Province's pumped storage plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The power station is located in Shanyang County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW. It is relatively close to the Guanzhong load center and enjoys a superior geographical location. The hub project mainly consists of the upper reservoir, water conveyance system, underground powerhouse, switch station, lower reservoir, and water release and replenishment structures.

After the project is completed and put into operation, it will mainly undertake tasks such as peak shaving and valley filling, energy storage, frequency regulation, phase modulation, and emergency accident reserve for the Shaanxi power grid. It will smooth out fluctuations in the output of new energy sources in the system, improve absorption capacity, and further enhance the quality of power supply of the grid. It is of great significance for promoting the development and construction of new energy in Shaanxi Province, optimizing the power source structure, advancing the transformation of energy production and consumption modes, driving the upgrading of the new energy industry, and extending the new energy industry chain. It is another breakthrough point for the high-quality economic and social development of Shaanxi Province, and is of major significance for promoting the realization of China's "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goals.

During the project construction, the Northwest Institute carefully planned and coordinated arrangements, overcame factors such as numerous and wide-ranging coordination and communication points, strengthened on-site geological survey forces, increased back-office design input, and cleverly utilized the "Ω"-shaped river channel's "cutting off the bend and taking the straight" to form the lower reservoir, solving layout challenges such as large flood flows in the lower reservoir river channel, steep terrain, and limited available space. At the same time, a detailed work flow chart for the feasibility study stage was formulated, ensuring that "each special topic is assigned to a specific person, and each review is scheduled to a specific day." The project's pre-feasibility study report passed review in July 2022, the feasibility study report was completed in June 2023, and it was approved by the Shaanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission on November 2, 2023. Next, the Northwest Institute will work closely with the participating construction units, orderly prepare for subsequent bidding and construction design work, and contribute the wisdom and strength of the Northwest Institute to the high-quality construction of the project.

Those attending the groundbreaking ceremony included leaders and representatives from relevant departments of the Shaanxi Provincial Government, the Shangluo Municipal Government and Shanyang County Government, China Three Gorges Corporation, Three Gorges Energy, Three Gorges Construction Engineering, PowerChina Beijing Institute, Sinohydro Bureau 4, Sinohydro Bureau 5, and other units.