On September 17, the Hotan Jinzhi Luopu 250 MW/1,000 MWh Independent Energy Storage Station — the first 100-MW-class independent energy storage station in Hotan Region, built by Northwest Institute under an EPC general contract — officially entered commercial operation. The project is currently the largest and most technologically advanced independent energy storage project in Hotan Region. Its successful commissioning not only injects stable momentum into the Southern Xinjiang power grid, but also, with technological innovation and green efficiency, presses the "accelerator" for regional energy transition and economic development.

Located in Luopu County, Hotan Region, the project adopts a coordinated layout of 200 MW/800 MWh grid-following energy storage and 50 MW/200 MWh grid-forming energy storage. A newly built 220 kV booster station is equipped with two 240 MVA main transformers, and a supporting 0.96 km transmission line connects directly to the Luopu substation, enabling efficient power transmission. After official commissioning, the station will release 250 MW of peak-shaving capacity, becoming a "buffer" and "regulator" for renewable energy consumption in Southern Xinjiang. It is expected to reduce the curtailment rate of photovoltaic power in Luopu County by more than 15% annually and add 400 million kWh of clean electricity, equivalent to meeting the annual electricity demand of 200,000 households and providing solid support for residents' power supply. At the same time, its improvement of grid stability and reliability will further enhance the investment appeal of Southern Xinjiang and help industrial agglomeration and the green transformation of the energy mix.

In the extreme environment of the Gobi Desert, the project team confronted multiple challenges, including extreme weather impacts and tight material supply. Through scientific planning of test procedures, a fully consolidated responsibility system across the entire chain, and efficient cross-departmental coordination, the team tackled the "hard bones" with iron determination and achieved the project's commercial operation target on schedule. Going forward, the project team will focus on refined completion work, systematically review construction experience, and iteratively optimize the management model, injecting strong momentum into the company's high-quality development and providing a replicable "Jinzhi sample" for the construction of large-scale energy storage projects in desert areas.