The pumped storage power station with the largest installed capacity and regulated storage capacity in the world's ultra-high altitude area (above 3,500 meters), which kicked off construction on Saturday in Northwest China's Qinghai province, will further tap the abundant clean energy resources in local regions, said its operator China Three Gorges Corp.

With a total installed capacity of 2.4 million kilowatts, it is estimated to replace about 4.63 million tons of standard coal once operational and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 26.64 million tons per year, it said.

The power station, which uses electricity to pump water to be stored at a higher location, and then releases the water to generate electricity when the power supply is insufficient, will be located at an altitude of 3,200 to 3,700 meters in the city of Golmud in the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan autonomous prefecture, said the company.

Earlier this month, Qinghai started construction on a pumped-storage power station with a maximum energy storage capacity of about 20 million kWh in the province's Guinan county in the Hainan Tibetan autonomous prefecture.

Qinghai expects to see its installed new energy capacity exceed 100 million kilowatts by 2030.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn