Yulin strengthens power grid to support growth at home and beyond

As a national energy and chemical base and a key sending-end hub for China's west-to-east power transmission program, Yulin in Shaanxi province has seen its power grid develop in lockstep with the city's growth.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Yulin prioritized grid construction in its infrastructure rollout. To meet local power demands, State Grid Yulin Power Supply has continued scaling up investment, adding more transmission towers and power lines to fuel sustained growth for this energy hub.

The city meets electricity needs within Shaanxi while shouldering the task of transmitting power to central and eastern China. In Dingbian county alone, new installed  energy capacity has surpassed 6.5 gigawatts, with nearly 10 billion kilowatt-hours of green power delivered annually.

To move this clean electricity over long distances, Yulin has steadily upgraded its ultra-high-voltage transmission corridors. Over the past five years, State Grid pushed forward with UHV and extra-high voltage projects in Yulin. Thanks to a series of major completed projects, the city's north-to-south power transmission capacity hit 6.05 GW, and its total outbound power capacity jumped to 19.56 GW.

Today, the 750-kilovolt third transmission channel linking Northern Shaanxi to the Guanzhong‌ region and the Shaanxi-Henan ±800-kV UHV direct-current transmission project are advancing. Yulin is efficiently converting its resource endowments into economic strength while reinforcing its role in national power supply security.

Yulin's development requires not only outward power transmission corridors but also a strong backbone grid capable of absorbing and optimally utilizing electricity locally.

In July 2024, the 330-kV Wenchang substation, which operates at five voltage levels, was put into operation. It directly serves the power output from the 1,150-megawatt photovoltaic project in Yuyang district, and also strengthens the city's 330-kV backbone grid, providing reliable electricity for nearby coal chemical and new material businesses.

Grid construction in Yulin accelerated rapidly over the past five years. Five new 330-kV substations were commissioned and eight existing ones expanded, adding 7.38 million kilovolt-amperes of transformer capacity. The city also built 568 kilometers of 330-kV transmission lines. These developments have efficiently satisfied electricity demand for major industrial projects.

For the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), investment in Yulin's 330-kV-and-below power grids will reach 31 billion yuan ($4.63 billion). By then, weak points in the network will be fully addressed, an interconnected power supply network will take shape, and flexible cross-regional power sharing will be realized.

A stronger grid underpins a more vibrant industrial base, bolstering Yulin’s ambition to build a world-class energy and chemical industry base.

The benefits of grid upgrades are tangible across the city's farmlands and villages. In spring 2025, below-average rainfall created an urgent need for drought relief and farmland protection.

State Grid Yulin Power Supply quickly launched a special campaign, building or upgrading 172.3 km of 10-kV lines and 282.49 km of low-voltage lines, and installing or replacing 229 distribution transformers. The work resolved irrigation power access for 10.9 million mu (726,667 hectares) of farmland.

On the industrial side, a service commitment to energize projects one month ahead of schedule speeds up project landing. At Yuheng Industrial Park, ChemChina Western New Materials' ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene resin project, with an annual output of 50,000 metric tons, is Shaanxi's first high-end new material project of its kind and imposes stringent requirements on power supply reliability.

State Grid Yulin Power Supply optimized the power access plan and opened a green channel, completing grid connection one month early to help the manufacturer launch production sooner.

Upgraded distribution networks and improved livelihoods reinforce one another across urban and rural areas. The 13-megawatt multi-village photovoltaic power station in Renquan village, Dingbian county, achieves full absorption of generated power thanks to the upgraded grid, generating an extra 7 million yuan in annual revenue for 65 villages with weak collective economies.

Currently, 100 percent of Yulin's distribution network is automated. Power supply reliability has risen to 99.85 percent, and the comprehensive voltage qualification rate stands at 99.37 percent. From "having electricity" to "using high-quality power", residents in both urban and rural Yulin continue to see their experience improve.

Looking forward, Yulin will keep shouldering its energy supply responsibilities, develop a new-type power system, accelerate construction of an energy revolution innovation demonstration zone, and make a greater contribution to China's west-to-east power transmission program.