Inner Mongolia has given priority to transforming itself into a clean energy export facility for Beijing as well as the rest of China in its “8337” development strategy. It asked all parties to take care of resources transformation, strengthen power transmission line construction and scale up industry.

Two ultra-high voltage DC lines – from Xilin Gol League in Inner Mongolia to Jiangsu province and Shanghaimiao in Inner Mongolia’s Ordos to Shandong province – and two ultra-high voltage AC lines – from Xilin Gol League to Shandong and west Inner Mongolia to south Tianjin – have begun construction to solve problems for the autonomous region to send power out and speed up clean energy facility construction. The problems in power transmission can be solved after the four lines go into operation, and local clean energy can be delivered outside quickly.

‘Coal transportation by air and power delivery nationwide’

Inner Mongolia has come out on top in thermal and power installed capacities, power generation and transportation, but it’s been plagued by problems in the way of power delivery. Data shows that the region’s installed power generation capacity hit 84 million kilowatts, including 18 million kilowatts in wind power.

In 2013, Inner Mongolia sent out 140 billion kilowatts of electricity, about one-third of the nation’s total. The lack of long-distance and large-capacity power transmission channels has restrained local energy facility development. Outbound coal sales have failed to turn resource superiority into economic returns. But, if coal can be converted into electricity for outward delivery, economic benefits will be greatly raised and resource utilization and environment protection will be improved. It’s long been the region’s dream to build long-distance and large-capacity power transmission channels to realize the so-called goal of “coal transportation by air and power delivery nationwide”, which is also needed to realize reasonable energy utilization.

The National Energy Administration issued a notice on building 12 major power transmission lines to speed up air pollution prevention and treatment on May 16. Four AC and four DC ultra-high voltage and three 500-kilowatt projects were planned to be built on the State Grid. A total of 14 ultra-high voltage transformer substations and eight converter stations will be established, running 12,000 kilometers and involving 200 billion yuan ($32.69 billion). The region’s four channels are among them. The whole project is scheduled to be finished by 2017.