Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station (Closed to the Public)

Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station (Closed to the Public)

Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station (Closed to the Public) is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a patriotic education base.

The Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant, affiliated with China Southern Power Grid’s Peak Shaving and Frequency Regulation Power Generation Company, is a state-owned extra-large enterprise. Located in Conghua District, Guangzhou, known for its "hot springs and lychees," it is about 120 kilometers from downtown Guangzhou by road. The plant has a total installed capacity of 2,400 MW and is China’s first high-head, large-capacity pumped storage project designed and constructed domestically, as well as the world’s largest pumped storage power station at present.

The Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant’s hub project consists of an upper reservoir, a lower reservoir, a water diversion system, an underground powerhouse complex, and an outgoing line yard. The natural elevation difference between the upper and lower reservoirs is over 500 meters. The entire project was built in two phases, installing eight 300 MW reversible pumped storage units with a design head of 535 meters and a comprehensive efficiency of 76%. Major equipment was procured through international bidding—Phase I used equipment from France’s Alstom, while Phase II used equipment from Germany’s Siemens and Voith.

The project commenced on May 25, 1989, with the first unit generating electricity on June 29, 1993, and was fully completed by June 2000. During construction, the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant pioneered several domestic systems in China, including the "owner responsibility system," "bidding system," and "construction supervision system." To summarize and promote the experience and achievements gained during construction, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Electric Power held two project management experience exchange conferences at the plant in January 1991 and June 1995. The current equity structure of the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant is 54% owned by China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. and 46% by China General Nuclear Power Group. From its inception, the plant drew on management experience from Électricité de France and Hong Kong’s CLP Power, forming a distinctive management model with "Guangzhou Reservoir" characteristics, which holds significant importance for the development of hydropower plants, especially pumped storage facilities. In terms of operational management, the plant implemented an ON-CALL system, promoted unattended powerhouses, and became the first hydropower plant in China to pass the "unattended powerhouse" inspection in 2003. For maintenance management, the plant established an ABC equipment maintenance and overhaul system, adopted "Reliability-Centered Maintenance" (RCM), and made beneficial attempts in overhaul models and management. Regarding safety management, it was the first in China to introduce South Africa’s NOSA five-star safety, health, and environment management system in 1995, becoming the country’s first hydropower plant to achieve five-star certification in 2004. In 2007, the plant adopted China Southern Power Grid’s safety production risk management system and became the first unit within the grid to receive five-diamond certification in 2010. Additionally, in late 2006 and early 2007, the plant obtained ISO9001 quality management system and ISO14001 environmental management system certifications, further enhancing its overall management standards.

The pumped storage units, with their flexible startup and rapid mode-switching capabilities, play a role in peak shaving, frequency regulation, phase adjustment, and emergency backup in the power grid. From the commissioning of the first unit in June 1993 to the end of 2011, the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant’s units were started over 160,000 times, operated for nearly 380,000 hours, and activated 234 times for emergencies. They have delivered a cumulative peak power supply of 44.3 billion kWh to the grid and absorbed 57.1 billion kWh of off-peak electricity, playing a vital role in ensuring the safe and economical operation of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and the West-to-East Power Transmission Project, as well as improving the power supply reliability of the Southern Power Grid and Hong Kong’s grid. While ensuring the stable operation of the power grid, the plant has also protected and improved the ecological environment of the site and surrounding areas, boosted local economic development, and advanced the construction of a new socialist countryside.

In the late 1980s, to meet the development needs of Hong Kong’s power grid and ensure its safe, economical, and high-quality operation, Hong Kong’s CLP Power purchased a 50% capacity share of Guangzhou Pumped Storage Phase I for 40 years. During this period, the capacity of Phase I was shared equally between China and Hong Kong. The plant’s operation and maintenance were handled by the Chinese side, with Hong Kong representatives participating, creating a new model of cross-border cooperative enterprise management between mainland China and Hong Kong. To date, both sides have strictly adhered to the contract terms and maintained a strong cooperative relationship.

The Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant is not only a high-tech energy facility but also a picturesque garden-style resort area with lush mountains, clear waters, birdsong, and floral scents. It has been recognized as a "National AAA-Level Tourist Attraction," one of the "First Batch of National Industrial and Agricultural Tourism Demonstration Sites," and a "Guangdong Provincial Patriotic Education Base," among other honors. The plant spans a planned area of 18 square kilometers, with the water quality of the upper and lower reservoirs meeting China’s Class II surface water standards, wastewater discharge reaching the national secondary comprehensive emission standard, and air quality in the reservoir area achieving Class I atmospheric environment quality standards. Moving forward, the plant will place greater emphasis on environmental protection and further enhance its roles in eco-tourism and science education.

Since its establishment, under the care of governments at all levels and the leadership of its parent company, the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant has received numerous honors, including "Safe and Civilized Production Standard Enterprise in the Power Sector," "First-Class Hydropower Plant," "One Hundred Classic and Quality Projects for the 60th Anniversary of New China," "National Advanced Unit in Spiritual Civilization Construction," "Outstanding Enterprise in China’s Power Industry," "Advanced Collective of Central Enterprises," SASAC’s "Quality Service Star Unit," "Guangdong Provincial Civilized Unit," and "Civilized Unit of China Southern Power Grid Company." Meanwhile, Phase I of the plant has been awarded the "Gold Award for Excellent Design," the Ministry of Construction’s top quality award, the "Luban Prize," and the scientific and technological project "Research and Practice on Key Technologies for the Construction of the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station" was honored with the "Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award." The project "Introducing a Scientific Management System to Build Corporate Safety Culture" won the Second Prize for Innovation in Modernization of Power Enterprise Management nationwide.

In future development, the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Plant will continue to uphold a sense of mission, pragmatic execution, a people-oriented philosophy that values science, and a pioneering spirit that strives to be a benchmark. It will actively promote innovation in thinking, management, and technology, aiming to become an internationally advanced hydropower plant and make greater contributions to the development of peak shaving and frequency regulation, as well as to the safe, economical, and high-quality operation of the Southern Power Grid and Hong Kong’s grid. (Source: Propaganda Department of China Southern Power Grid)

Address: Xiaoshan Village, Lütian Town, Conghua District, Guangzhou City

Type: Hydraulic Engineering

Recommended Visit Duration: 3–4 hours

Opening Hours: Temporarily Closed

Lütian Town: Located in the northeastern part of Conghua City, Lütian Town covers a total area of 393 square kilometers, governs 21 administrative villages and 2 neighborhood committees, and has a population of approximately 30,000.

Lütian Town boasts beautiful mountains and rivers, lush forests, fresh air, and high-quality water, offering a pristine natural environment that makes it an ideal destination for investment, residence, and sightseeing. The town’s infrastructure is relatively well-developed. Transportation is convenient, as it serves as the northern transportation hub of Conghua, with 12 major roads spanning nearly 60 kilometers in total. All villages are connected by cement roads, and National Highway 105 runs north-south through the town, passing through four villages: Lianma, Lüzhong, Anshan, and Tangtian, from south... Lütian Town detailed information++