New turbines at ultra-high wind farm connect to grid in Tibet

BEIJING -- Five new turbines with a capacity of 3.6 megawatts (MW) each commenced operation on Thursday and were successfully connected to the grid at an ultra-high wind farm in Tibet, according to a statement from the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), the project developer.

The turbines are part of the wind farm's phase-II project located in Chigu town, comai county in Tibet. The turbines have been installed at altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 5,200 meters, with a rotor diameter of 160 meters, the statement said.

The Chigu wind farm is a pioneering project for both research and technology demonstration in the development of wind power at ultra-high altitudes in Tibet. It was also the first wind power project to be connected to Tibet's main power grid, marking a milestone in wind power development in plateau regions around the world.

The wind farm has a total installed capacity of 72.6 MW. The phase-I of the Chigu wind farm project went into operation in 2021.

Since 2020, project developer CTGC has accelerated the wind farm's construction process. Upon the wind farm's completion, its on-grid electricity is projected to surpass 200 million kWh annually, saving more than 60,000 tonnes of coal equivalent. It will also help reduce carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions each year by around 173,000 tonnes and 20 tonnes, respectively, according to the developer.