Pioneering energy storage system lights up 'roof of the world'

SHENZHEN -- A quiet energy revolution is unfolding on the roof of the world, where air low in oxygen and merciless winters have long dictated the rhythm of life.

The world's first intelligent grid-forming photovoltaic and energy storage power station, tailored for ultra-high altitudes, low-temperatures and weak-grid scenarios, has been connected to the grid in Ngari prefecture, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

In a landscape with an average altitude of about 4,700 meters, this pioneering energy storage system developed by tech giant Huawei, based in South China's Shenzhen, has rewritten the rules of power delivery in extreme conditions.

Situated on the edge of the region's power grid, Ngari has a high proportion of new energy installations but a weak grid -- connected to the main grid 500 kilometers away via a single 110-kilovolt line.

A 30MW solar power project's output was previously capped at 1.5MW. Moreover, equipment cooling and operation are hampered by air pressure and thin oxygen. The innovative new battery system, notably, has stepped in where conventional power solutions have fallen short.

As an engineering breakthrough, the station does not amount to mere storage units, but rather features digital power plants capable of creating stability -- generating their own voltage and frequency signals to improve the local grid infrastructure.

Now, the project's photovoltaic output has increased from the previous maximum of 1.5MW to 12MW. "Over 10 days of monitoring, Huawei's grid-forming energy storage maintained voltage and frequency stability through more than 40 major grid disturbances, achieving 100 percent reliability," said Yang Mingsheng, general manager of the project.

This grid-forming tech has taken off in Xizang, with 2,522 MWh of grid-forming energy storage capacity built there in 2024, marking China's first large-scale application of such technology.

Also, it has gained global recognition. In Saudi Arabia, the grid-forming system has enabled the world's largest 100-percent new energy microgrid project -- which has been operating stably for over 21 months and has supplied more than 1.5 billion kWh of green electricity.

"Grid-forming technology has become essential for new energy power stations, crucial for ensuring grid stability and supporting the safe operation of modern power systems," said Zheng Yue, president of Huawei Digital Energy's grid-forming energy storage division.