China's pumped-storage hydroelectricity industry is gearing up for opportunities during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, serving as a critical engine for the nation's green transition and long-term energy security, said experts.
During the next five years, the country expects to see some 100 million kilowatts of new pumped-storage capacity become operational, with an average annual rollout exceeding 20 million kW, placing the industry at a new high, they said.
"Pumped-storage is to play an increasingly irreplaceable role in expanding the scale and quality of new energy, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power system," said Zhao Zenghai, deputy head of the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute.
Zhao said he believes that compared with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, the sector's development scale is expected to experience a rapid leap.
The 100 million kW of newly commissioned capacity is roughly 1.5 times the nation's total cumulative capacity at the end of 2025, with China's total operational pumped-storage capacity projected to reach around 160 million kW by 2030, he said.
