Xinjiang Ruoqiang Pumped-Storage Power Station

I. Project Overview

Located in Ruoqiang County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, the Xinjiang Ruoqiang Pumped-Storage Power Station is the largest project of its kind in Xinjiang and the first in Southern China's southern Xinjiang region. It is designated as a key energy project under the national "14th Five-Year Plan."

Developer: Xinhua Ruoqiang Pumped-Storage Power Generation Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of CNNC)

Total Installed Capacity: 2,100 MW ($6 \times 350\text{ MW}$ units)

Total Investment: 15.677 billion RMB

Construction Period: 81 months (approx. 6.75 years)

Key Milestones: First unit scheduled for power generation in September 2030; full completion by December 2031.

Core Functions: Peak shaving, valley filling, energy storage, frequency regulation, phase regulation, and emergency backup for the power grid. It supports the integration of new energy in Southern Xinjiang and the "Power Transmission from Xinjiang to Eastern Regions" initiative.

II. Project Layout & Components

Upper Reservoir: Located on the mountain peak on the left bank of the Ruoqiang River, featuring a maximum dam height of 93 meters and a normal water storage level of 2,308 meters.

Lower Reservoir: Located at the mountain foot on the left bank of the Ruoqiang River, with a total storage capacity of 8.62 million cubic meters.

Water Delivery and Power Generation System: Includes an underground powerhouse (248.5m long $\times$ 28.2m wide $\times$ 58.3m high), a main transformer room, a tailrace gate chamber, and an 8,520-meter water supply/drainage tunnel excavated via TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine).

III. Latest Progress (As of June 2026)

Underground Powerhouse: The excavation of the first layer was completed in March 2026, and the project has now entered the structural construction phase.

Tailrace Gate Chamber: Excavation of the first layer was completed on June 8, 2026, marking breakthroughs across all three core underground caverns.

Water Delivery Tunnel: The TBM excavation for the water supply tunnel has reached 1,800 meters (out of the total 8,520 meters).

Upper & Lower Reservoirs: Excavation of the dam shoulder and compaction tests are underway at the upper reservoir; dam foundation excavation and backfilling are progressing simultaneously at the lower reservoir.

Supporting Facilities: The connecting road between the upper and lower reservoirs is expected to be completed in October 2026. Currently, over 2,000 builders and more than 300 pieces of equipment are operating on-site.

IV. Core Value

Energy Regulation: Annual power generation is estimated at approximately 2.625 billion kWh, with 1,250 annual utilization hours and an integrated efficiency of 75%.

Grid Stability: Smooths out the fluctuations of wind and solar power, enhancing the power consumption and transmission capabilities of the Southern Xinjiang grid (approved by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region).

Regional Development: Drives infrastructure development, job creation, and the local industrial chain, helping build a new type of power system in Xinjiang.

V. Key Milestones

July 2023: Land acquisition and resettlement implementation.

December 2025: Breakthrough of the pilot tunnel in the underground powerhouse; TBM excavation surpassed the 1,000-meter mark.

Smart Safety Training Center of Xinjiang Ruoqiang Pumped-Storage Power Station

As the core facility for project safety training and emergency drills, the center serves as an all-in-one smart training platform combining "real-world scenarios, VR simulation, and practical assessment." It serves over 2,000 builders and underpins safety risk management for high-risk underground construction.

I. Basic Overview

Developers: CNNC Xinhua Ruoqiang Pumped-Storage Co. & PowerChina Sinohydro Bureau 5 Project Department

Commissioning Date: Early 2025 (aligned with the full launch of the main project)

Location: Temporary construction zone at the Ruoqiang County site, adjacent to the living quarters.

Area: Approx. 800 square meters.

Layout: Divided into five zones: Safety Awareness, Real-World Experience, VR Simulation, Practical Assessment, and Emergency Drills.

Core Objective: Covers three-level safety education for all staff, special operation licensing, and targeted training for high-risk processes. It aims to deliver 12,000 trainee sessions and lower the operational violation rate to under 0.3‰.

II. Core Exhibition Zones & Training Modules

1. Safety Awareness Zone

Displays project overviews, safety policies, and major hazard sources (27 items, including Level II risks for underground water inrush and mud bursting).

Features a 3D geological model integrated with real-time monitoring data (from 86 piezometers) to intuitively demonstrate underground engineering risks.

Presents safety regulations, operating procedures, and graphic warnings from typical accident case studies.

2. Real-World Experience Zone

Underground Cavern Collapse/Water Inrush Simulation: Recreates construction scenarios within the F31 fault zone, demonstrating the "advanced small pipe + double-fluid grouting" water-blocking technique (achieving a water-blocking rate of 92%+).

Confined Space Operations: Simulates oxygen deficiency and toxic gas leaks in tunnels, requiring hands-on practice in ventilation, detection, personal protection, and rescue workflows.

Working at Heights & Edge Protection: Training on correct safety harness usage, fall-arrest experiences, and scaffolding safety practices.

Temporary/High-Voltage Electricity Safety: Electric shock simulations, insulation protection, and standard distribution box operations.

Lifting/Mechanical Injury: Demonstrations of lifting commands, equipment blind spots, and the consequences of non-compliant operations.

3. VR Immersive Simulation Zone

Equipment: Equipped with multiple VR accident simulation systems and 4K UHD large displays.

Scenarios: Covers 12 categories of high-risk accidents, including tunnel cave-ins, water/mud inrushes, blasting injuries, falls from heights, electric shocks, mechanical injuries, and fire escapes.

Features: Provides a first-person perspective to intensify risk perception, backed by interactive training for emergency response.

4. Practical Assessment Zone

Assessments on the correct donning of safety helmets, safety harnesses, and life jackets.

Hands-on drills for using fire extinguishers and fire hydrants.

Operations of emergency oxygen chambers (3 units are standard in the caverns, ensuring a 15-minute rescue response).

Confined space rescue and first-aid drills (including CPR).

Special operation simulations (blasting, support installation, and TBM operational safety).

5. Emergency Drill Zone

Targeted drills for cave-ins, water inrushes, fires, and missing personnel (held at least once per quarter, covering 100% of staff).

Hands-on drills integrated with 38 underground escape routes and a high-capacity drainage system (3,000 cubic meters per hour).

III. Core Value & Distinctive Features

Tailored to High-Risk Pumped-Storage Projects: Focuses heavily on risks unique to underground caverns, deep-buried tunnels, high slopes, and blasting operations. Its customized modules far exceed standard construction safety halls.

Closed-Loop Digital Management: Training logs, test scores, and VR experience data are stored in the cloud and directly linked to site access control and special operation licensing.

Proactive Emergency Readiness: Shifts the focus from "post-incident rescue" to "pre-incident prevention + in-incident mitigation," supporting the project's record of 890 consecutive days of safe production.

Demonstration Effect: Serves as a safety benchmark for the first large-scale pumped-storage project in Southern Xinjiang, providing a replicable model for similar engineering projects.