On June 13 at 3:52 p.m., China’s first 100 MWh grid-forming energy storage power station—Xingang Energy Storage Station in Shayang County, Jingmen, Hubei Province—successfully conducted Central China’s first “black start” test on a 110 kV regional power grid.
Source: Science and Technology Daily
On June 13 at 3:52 p.m., China’s first 100 MWh grid-forming energy storage power station—Xingang Energy Storage Station in Shayang County, Jingmen, Hubei Province—successfully conducted Central China’s first “black start” test on a 110 kV regional power grid.
At the start of the test, two nearby substations—Gaoqiao and Qingnian—were disconnected from the main grid to simulate a regional blackout. Following the test protocol, State Grid Jingmen Power Supply Company activated the Xingang storage station 30 seconds later. The station quickly restored power to both substations and synchronized with the Jindi Solar Plant, located over 10 kilometers away. Within 40 minutes, power was fully restored to seven 10 kV distribution areas and three large irrigation and drainage pump stations.
A black start is the process of restoring power to a grid after a total outage without relying on external power sources. Traditional grid-following storage and solar systems depend on the main grid’s “heartbeat”—its voltage and frequency—to operate. If the grid goes down, these systems also shut down. Grid-forming energy storage systems, however, are designed to take the lead. They can autonomously regulate voltage and frequency, actively support grid stability, and even operate independently, making black start capabilities possible.
“This type of energy storage acts like a spark,” said You Li, senior engineer at the State Grid Hubei Electric Power Research Institute. “It can quickly start up on its own and restore local power. Compared to traditional black start methods like diesel generators, it’s faster, cleaner, and more efficient.”
The test lasted just over an hour. After confirming stable operation of the isolated grid, operators reconnected it to the main grid, marking a successful completion of the test and a major step forward in grid resilience and modernization.
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