Shanghai's first ultra-high voltage (UHV) power project during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) period began construction on Friday, and is expected to provide strong energy support for the city's development as an international center of economy, finance, trade, shipping and scientific and technological innovation.

Situated in Liantang of Qingpu district, the 1000 kilovolt substation expansion project serves as a core hub for transmitting electricity from the East China ultra-high voltage grid to Shanghai. The completion of the project is expected to raise power supply capacity by 50 percent, according to State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co.

Since its operation in 2013, the Liantang Substation has delivered about 150 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Shanghai, serving as a key safeguard for uninterrupted power supply during major events, including summer peak demand periods and the China International Import Expo.

Shanghai's power grid set a historical record last summer, reaching a peak electricity load of 42.16 million kW, driving the urgency to upgrade and expand the existing Liantang substation.

With a total investment of 350 million yuan ($50.65 million), the expansion project is scheduled for completion in June 2027. Once operational, the project will not only enhance Shanghai's power capacity, but also meet the growing electricity demand in Shanghai in the future, thereby comprehensively improving the city's power supply stability and reliability.