Study on Power Market Potential and Peak Shaving Gap in the East China Region

In the East China region (comprising Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui provinces, and Shanghai municipality), there exists a substantial demand for pumped storage hydropower plants (PSHPs). The long construction period of these facilities creates challenges in timely commissioning, leading to difficulties for various provincial and municipal jurisdictions in meeting their annual capacity targets as per design specifications. To address this, we propose a two-stage framework for rational PSHP integration. First, we analyze the spatial dynamics of the power market and evaluate the economic scale and sensitivity of PSHPs. Second, we appraise feasible capacities across each province and municipality for the designated operational year. By appraising the feasible capacities across the provinces and municipality for the designated operational year, a comprehensive examination of the regional demand for pumped storage hydropower emerges, thereby furnishing a foundational framework for determining the optimal integration strategies for these facilities. Through meticulous computations and assessments, it is approximated that by the year 2035, the cumulative demand for pumped storage hydropower plants in the East China region will reach around 72.8 GW. After accounting for the existing and under-construction plants, an initial estimation posits a substantial deficit of approximately 29.715 GW by 2035.