China Energy Engineering Group's Central China Electric Power Engineering subsidiary has won the bid for a 200 MW/1,200 MWh grid-forming standalone energy storage project in Shache county, Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The project, the first grid-forming energy storage demonstration project in southern Xinjiang with six-hour continuous discharge capability, will feature a lithium iron phosphate storage system paired with one 220 kV booster station.

The facility adopts a full-capacity grid-forming plus long-duration storage technology route, overcoming the regulation limits of conventional grid-following systems. It will provide voltage source operation characteristics and black-start functionality, supporting secure and reliable grid operations under high renewable energy penetration.

Southern Xinjiang experiences surplus solar generation of six to nine hours during daytime, while evening demand rises sharply, creating a pronounced mismatch between supply and load timing. Compared with the regional standard two-hour and four-hour storage configurations, the six-hour system better aligns with local grid regulation needs.

Once operational, the project will absorb an additional 110 GWh of curtailed solar power annually. It will connect to the Kashgar grid, providing inertia, damping, voltage, frequency and black-start support to strengthen grid stability and facilitate integration of Kashgar's multi-gigawatt clean energy base.