World's first 660 KV power cable in China

Feb 06, 2011 - sify.com

Beijing, Feb 28 (IANS) A 660-kilovolt direct current power transmission system, said to be the world's first, began to supply energy Monday to a province that is located over 1,300 km away.

The transmission system began carrying power from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the eastern Shandong Province.

The 10.4-billion-yuan ($1.58 billion) project is part of China's west-east power transmission programme, Xinhua reported.

The cable system has a current-carrying capacity of 4 million kilowatts of electricity over a distance of 1,333 km through five provinces and regions.

China's coal resources are mainly based in the west and the north. The west-east power transmission programme was initiated in 2000.

Cui Jifeng, general manager of Ningxia Power Co. which is a subsidiary of the China Power Grid Co., said the system was built to supply hydropower generated on the upper reaches of the Yellow River as well as thermal power produced in Ningxia to coastal Shandong.

The system was designed, produced, constructed and tested by Chinese companies, he said.