Ren Shenggao is 92, but his memory is still sharp. While reminiscing, the veteran electricity grid designer recalled his early days in northeast China’s Changchun City, Jilin Province, almost seven decades ago.
In September 1952, Ren came to the city to start his career at the design branch of Northeast Power Administration, the predecessor of the Northeast Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. (NEPDI), the design arm of Energy China Group, after graduating from the Department of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University.
It was a time when rebuilding a devastated country was a top priority. China’s northeastern region, the most important industrial base back then, was in dire need of power supply, an area in which Ren was to play a major role. “Despite the fact that I was still adjusting to local life, I was all fired up thinking about what we were going to build,” said Ren. “I never thought my job in Changchun would last for decades.”
The 1,180 MW Bhikki combined-cycle power plant in Pakistan, Asia’s first heavy-duty gas turbine project, was designed by NEPDI.
China’s First 220 KV Transmission Line
The NEPDI predecessor received an urgent task in July 1952, to construct a 220 KV transmission line from the Fengman Hydropower Station on the Songhua River in Jilin to the industrial region in Liaoning. The Songdongli Line, as it was named, was scheduled for completion and delivery on March 31, 1954. Although a greenhorn, Ren was assigned to design pylons.
The newly-established NEPDI predecessor was China’s first electric power survey and design institution. “The biggest challenge was that we didn’t have any specific design standards to consult, like the basic spacing of transmission lines or the shape of pylons. We were starting from scratch,” said Ren.
At the time, there was only one experimental 380 KV high-voltage transmission line worldwide, which was in Sweden. Other than that, a 220 KV standard represented the highest transmission capacity in other countries. “It was something unprecedented at the time,” said Ren.
As there were no design standards, Ren and his colleagues went to Shenyang and Fushun to consult with Soviet experts. They translated installation guidelines in foreign languages into Chinese and made them into guidelines suitable for Chinese conditions. “It was a process of learning and exploring, with difficulties that are hard to imagine,” he said.
Meeting the deadline was based on the design of the pylons. “I only slept for four hours a day, and if I said I wasn’t nervous, I would be lying. It was extremely stressful,” said Ren. In order to live up to the management’s expectations, he gathered information on “cat-head-shape” pylons designed in China and referred to photos of the “wineglass-type” pylons in Soviet magazines. After several trials, he came up with the “wineglass-shape” pylon.
“It was not a simple blueprint. Everything was meticulously designed to guarantee the stability of the pylon in any environment, regardless of hard external forces and complicated conditions. “Five days of load testing under different working conditions showed that my design was successful.”
In an era of material shortages, it was a luxury to build pylons that would consume enormous amount of steel. “We were meticulous in the choice and use of steel, as this line was 369 kilometers long, and 919 pylons were needed,” Ren said. Ren’s design not only ensured the safety and reliability of the pylons, but also saved the country several thousand tons of steel. It was for this reason that Ren was awarded the title of Model Worker by the Changchun municipal government.
On January 23, 1954, the first 220 KV transmission line in China, designed and built by Ren and his colleagues, was completed ahead of schedule. It was a glorious moment for Chinese power grid designers.
The World’s First 1,000 KV UHV Transmission Line
For Zhang Guoliang, deputy chief engineer at the NEPDI, 2006 was a special year. China began building the first national 1,000 KV ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission line that year. The line was designed to transmit UHV electricity of an alternating current between southeast Shanxi Province and Jingmen in central China’s Hubei Province via Nanyang in Henan Province. “The NEPDI undertook the design task for the Nanyang-Tongzhaipu section, and I was the chief engineer in charge of the project,” Zhang said.
The design and construction of 1,000 KV UHV lines were big challenges for professionals in China as well as the rest of the world. Based on years of accumulated experience and through intensive research on UHV lines, Zhang led engineers to challenge the world’s highest level of power grid technology.
From selecting transmission lines, to surveying and positioning sites, collecting data, and finalizing design plans, Zhang and his team often worked into the early hours of the next morning. “Through tireless efforts, our team managed to overcome a series of technical problems puzzling even top engineers in the world,” Zhang said.
On January 6, 2009, the project was officially completed and commissioned, becoming the first UHV transmission line in commercial operation in the history of China’s power industry. “This is the first 1,000 KV UHV project independently developed and designed by China. Our project team fought for this project for three years,” said Zhang proudly.
According to Zhang, the project made China the first country in the world to master the core technology of UHV power transmission and equipment manufacturing for the transmission. “This is the greatest recognition for me and for all the staff involved in this project,” he said. The project won the National Award for Excellence in Engineering Study and Design in 2010.
Since then, Zhang and his team have participated in the design of other large UHV projects, solving many difficulties in major national energy projects.
Asia’s First H-Class Gas Turbine Project
The NEPDI made the headlines of media outlets at home and abroad on April 27, 2018. The 1,180 MW Bhikki combined-cycle power plant in Pakistan, Asia’s first heavy-duty gas turbine project, was put into official commercial operation on the day. The NEPDI was the designer of the project.
The H-class large-power gas turbine used in the plant is the most advanced in the world, boasting the strongest power, and the highest efficiency. The power plant adopted 9HA.01 gas turbines produced by GE Power. The design work was led by Lu Yang, a young project manager from the NEPDI, representing the highest level of expertise in this area.
The H-class gas turbine was first installed in Asia and there were very few such design materials that could be referenced. The design team also faced many other difficulties, such as implementing American standards, reviewing plans from different parties, and extremely tight design schedules. Just one week after signing the project, Lu established an efficient and smooth data transmission and communication channel with GE Power and carried out regular exchanges of 3D design models with the company.
“We have carefully studied the American standards, made innovated changes in the designing schemes, and incorporated them into Asia’s first ultra-efficient H-class gas turbine combined-cycle power unit,” said Lu.
In the past, Pakistan faced a shortage of electricity. The Bhikki 1,180 MW and Balloki 1,223 MW combined-cycle power projects designed by Lu’s team will help resolve this problem. “The combined-cycle power units we designed are different from the traditional coal-fired units. The fuel used is natural gas, which is efficient and environmentally friendly. While providing sufficient electricity to Pakistan, they will also reduce emissions of air pollutants and carbon dioxide,” he said. “The thermal efficiency of coal-fired power generation is 40 percent. That of the power plants we designed can reach 62.85 percent, which places them at the top of the world,” said Lu.
The design team headed by Lu has worked for many overseas projects along the Belt and Road route, including those in Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Laos and Indonesia.
