After successfully completing the final system test for its control and protection devices, the renovation project of the 500 kV Huaxin converter station was officially put into operation on Monday, currently using a domestically made system that runs as the brain of the station, according to the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co.

Since being operational in 2006, the Huaxin converter station has been undertaking the vital task of transmitting renewable hydroelectric power from the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest hydropower project, into the Shanghai power grid.

The station has transmitted nearly 190 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the past 18 years, playing a crucial role in supporting Shanghai's urban electricity supply, reducing air pollution, as well as achieving the target of carbon neutrality.

As the station's aging facilities gradually generated a higher frequency of system failure occurrence, the State Grid Shanghai decided to launch the innovation project in 2024 to ensure the safety and stable operation of the grid power.