Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Overview — Industry (Part 2)
Section 2 Energy Production. Energy production in Xiangxi consists mainly of coal and electricity. Coal, a primary energy source, remains important for industry and agriculture; constrained by terrain, transport and slow growth in industrial and agricultural coal use, coal output has kept pace with economic development, while hydropower, a renewable source, is on the rise. 1. Coal Industry...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section 2 Energy Production
Energy production in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture mainly consists of coal and electricity. Coal, as a primary energy source, remained an important energy source for industrial and agricultural production. Due to factors such as terrain, transportation, and the small increase in coal use by industry and agriculture, coal production capacity maintained a trend of developing in step with the economy; renewable energy hydropower showed an upward trend.
I. Coal Industry
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is relatively rich in coal resources, distributed within Longshan, Yongshun, Baojing, and Luxi counties, with retained reserves of 27 million tons. The Matizhai and Baiyunshan mining areas, as well as carbon asphalt and stone coal resources, are planned for exploration and development. There is a long history of folk coal mining and lime burning. In the 1950s, the Prefecture People's Committee began investing in the construction of the Longjiazhai Coal Mine, and subsequently built coal mines such as Luota, Fenshuiling, Kapeng, Shuitian, Tuanjie, Xinjie, Baishi, and Xiangyang. In 1982, the 10 counties within Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture had a total of 8 prefecture- and county-owned coal mines with 15 pairs of shafts. Some localities operated collective small coal pits. That year's coal output was 360,000 tons, becoming the prefecture's main energy source. The Longjiazhai Coal Mine, once awarded the honorary title of "Daqing-style Enterprise" by the state for hard struggle, diligent and thrifty mine operation, and increasing production 13-fold in 9 years.
After the administrative division change in 1988, Sangzhi County, one of the energy bases, was placed under the jurisdiction of Zhangjiajie City. The coal reserves and production capacity of the prefecture's 8 counties and cities decreased.
After 1996, through the construction of the Manhu Shaft of the Prefecture Luota Coal Mine and the Linjiawan Shaft of the Prefecture Xiangyang Coal Mine, the renovation of township coal mines such as the Prefecture Longjiazhai Dazhai Shaft, the Kapeng Coal Mine, and the Luota Baxiandong Coal Mine, and the implementation of safety projects listed in national, provincial, and prefectural plans, the prefecture's coal industry developed relatively quickly, improving the basic conditions for safe production, with annual production capacity increasing to 510,000 tons.
In 2001, according to the unified arrangements of the State Council and the Hunan Provincial Government, the prefecture closed a total of 114 illegal and single-certificate small coal mines, revoked 70 mining licenses, and closed 8 small shafts operated by state-owned coal mines. The special rectification of coal mine safety production achieved initial results, coal production order got on the right track, and the safety production situation improved steadily.
In 2004, state-owned and township coal mines in the prefecture raised nearly 6 million yuan for mine renovation around improving raw coal production capacity, further consolidating the foundation for safe production. That year, 235,300 tons of raw coal were produced, easing the prefecture's energy shortage. At the same time, special safety rectification was highlighted, and a total of 39 illegal small coal kilns were closed and dynamited throughout the year.
In 2005, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Coal Bureau was established (also bearing the sign of the Prefecture Coal Safety Production Supervision and Administration Bureau), taking the lead in the province in straightening out the prefecture (city)-level coal mine safety supervision system.
II. Power Industry
The power industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture began with thermal power, while its advantageous power is hydropower.
(1) Thermal Power
In 1942, Xu Yisheng, owner of a rice mill in Pushi Town, Luxi County, purchased a 60-horsepower steam engine to drive an 18-kilowatt generator for rice milling and lighting. This was the germ of the power industry in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture.
At the beginning of the founding of New China, the 10 counties in the region began using automobile engines or small gas engines to generate electricity. In 1952, the power generation of the 10 counties was 193,000 kilowatt-hours.
In 1953, in order to support the construction of the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region, the Hunan Provincial People's Government relocated a British-made 150-kilowatt steam generator unit from Yuanling and began building the Jishou Power Plant. It officially began generating power on May 1, 1955. That year, the power generation of the prefecture's 10 counties increased to 334,700 kilowatt-hours. Later, two 750-kilowatt steam turbine generator units were added, which were scrapped in the early 1980s, and thermal power in the Jishou area came to a halt.
From the 1960s onward, in counties relatively rich in coal resources such as Yongshun, Longshan, and Sangzhi, construction began on the Yongshun Thermal Power Plant, Sangzhi Thermal Power Plant, Wanping Thermal Power Plant, and Maoping Thermal Power Plant. In 1980, the installed thermal power capacity of the prefecture's 10 counties was 21,750 kilowatts, and that year's thermal power generation was 43.37 million kilowatt-hours, accounting for about 20% of total power generation. Thermal power retreated to a secondary position, while hydropower rose to the primary position.
(2) Hydropower
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is relatively rich in water resources. In the 1930s, after the Yuan River Division of the Hunan Provincial Construction Department surveyed the river channels, its "Report" stated: "The upper reaches of the major rivers in this province are very rich in hydraulic reserves and urgently need development and utilization. Those that have completed survey work include Dalongdong and Xiaolongdong in Yongsui (present-day Huayuan), Liulinyi on the Yuan River, Wangxiangtai in Longshan... all of which can undertake hydropower projects." However, until the founding of New China in 1949, small hydropower in the 10 counties of the region remained a blank.
In 1953, Wangcun Town in Yongshun County used the natural drop of a stream to install a "water drum" 2.5 meters in diameter, driving a 16-kilowatt generator to produce electricity, sounding the clarion call for hydropower generation in the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region. Subsequently, the Huayuan Baishui Hydropower Station was built with an installed capacity of 84 kilowatts; the Guzhang Longbizui Hydropower Station with an installed capacity of 10 kilowatts; and the Baojing Shuitianhe Hydropower Station with an installed capacity of 15 kilowatts. From then on, the history of no hydropower in the prefecture came to an end.
With economic and technological development, power construction in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture continued to advance. In the 1960s, the pace of hydropower construction accelerated. By 1969, the prefecture's 10 counties had built 254 hydropower stations with 264 units and an installed capacity of 8,002 kilowatts, with the smallest single-unit capacity at 3 kilowatts and the largest installed capacity at 500 kilowatts. In 1970, hydropower generation was 21.5 million kilowatt-hours, accounting for 75.5% of total power generation, and hydropower had already occupied the primary position in the power industry.
The 1970s were a period of great development focused on building power stations with single-unit capacities above 500 kilowatts. Eight stations with 26 units and 25,540 kilowatts were successively built, including Maoxi, Sanyuan, Baixiguan, Badouxi, Hexi, Dongtan, Changtan, and Yuehutan. The 1980s were a period of upsurge focused on building power stations with single-unit capacities above 1,000 kilowatts. Seven stations with 22 units and 70,320 kilowatts were successively built, including Ganxiqiao, Dongdi, Mao'erkou, Wantang, Xiazhahe, Shiziqiao, and Ma'anshan. By the end of 1988, the prefecture's 10 counties and cities had 350 small hydropower stations with 526 units and 149,977 kilowatts, accounting for 11% of Hunan Province's total installed power capacity and ranking third among the province's 14 prefectures and cities.
In the 1990s, the Changtangang Hydropower Station continued to be built, the Shuangrongtan Hydropower Station was newly built and completed, and construction began on the 240,000-kilowatt Baojing Wanmipo Hydropower Station. In August 2004, the Wanmipo Hydropower Station was completed and put into operation. In 2005, the prefecture's 8 counties and cities generated 1.094 billion kilowatt-hours of hydropower and supplied 2.868 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, of which 1.952 billion kilowatt-hours were supplied by the provincial grid. At this time, thermal power generation was negligible, and hydropower almost dominated exclusively.
(3) Power Supply
For a long time, insufficient power supply had been a bottleneck constraining the economic development of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. In order to ease the contradiction between power supply and demand, grid construction began to be strengthened from the late 1970s.
Before October 1979, production and domestic electricity use in the Jishou area, including prefecture-direct units and Jishou City, was handled by the Prefecture Power Company and the Jishou Power Company. The main power sources under their supply included: Dalongdong Hydropower Station with 4 units of 1,250 kilowatts each, the Jishou Thermal Power Workshop with 2 units of 750 kilowatts each, Shizi'an Hydropower Station with 3 units of 124 kilowatts each and 1 unit of 160 kilowatts, plus 5 county- and township-owned small hydropower stations with a total of 10 units and 1,535 kilowatts connected to the grid, with a total installed capacity of 84,400 kilowatts and annual power supply of 19.56 million kilowatt-hours. In the late 1970s, the Jishou area began implementing interconnected power supply among power stations. The grid had 2 35-kilovolt transmission lines totaling 40 kilometers, 2 35-kilovolt substations with 4 units, and a total main transformer capacity of 12,800 kilovolt-amperes; 1 35-kilovolt step-up station with 2 units and a total capacity of 6,400 kilovolt-amperes. Implementing interconnected power supply among power stations effectively guaranteed power quality and improved power economic benefits through rational adjustment of generation and supply. Entering the 1980s, the Jishou area grid gradually achieved interconnection with the grids of Huayuan, Baojing, and Fenghuang counties. In October 1982, the Hunan power grid entered Xiangxi, building a new 110-kilovolt substation in Guzhang and a new 110-kilovolt transmission line of 38 kilometers, with a transformation capacity of 10,000 kilovolt-amperes. In February 1985, the Hunan power grid extended to the Jishou area, and the province-affiliated Huaihua Electric Power Bureau built a new Qianzhou 110-kilovolt substation to strengthen the power supply capacity of the Jishou area. At the same time, the Luxi County grid, Guzhang County grid, Yongshun County grid, Longshan County grid, and Hunan power grid were interconnected. In 1988, the prefecture's 10 counties and cities had a total of 93 grid-connected small hydropower stations with 227 units and 120,619 kilowatts, and 3 grid-connected small thermal power stations with 8 units and 19,500 kilowatts; 55 grid-connected 35-kilovolt transmission lines totaling 779.24 kilometers, 42 grid-connected 35-kilovolt-ampere substations with 54 units and 94,240 kilovolt-amperes, and 23 grid-connected 35-kilovolt step-up stations with 36 units and 122,260 kilovolt-amperes; 1 110-kilovolt transmission line of 135.2 kilometers and 1 110-kilovolt-ampere substation with 3 units and 3 kilovolt-amperes; a maximum load of 84,600 kilowatts, annual power supply of 368,571,500 kilowatt-hours, and a line loss rate of 12.5%.
In July 1994, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Electric Power Bureau was established. During the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period, the prefecture's power industry department, guided by the policy of "actively serving the economic construction of the autonomous prefecture," took grid construction as an important task of "developing enterprises and serving the locality," actively pursuing projects and raising funds, putting the power construction of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture on a track of rapid development. In May 1994, the Luxi Baisha and Baojing Meihua 110-kilovolt power transmission and transformation projects were newly built. In September 1995, two 110-kilovolt substations in Qianzhou, Jishou, were interconnected through 110-kilovolt transmission lines, realizing grid-connected operation between the Xiangxi local power grid and the Hunan power grid. In 1996, the 110-kilovolt power transmission and transformation project from Gaotan in Yuanling to Wuxi Town in Luxi was completed. On New Year's Day 1977, the Jishou Wanrongjiang 220-kilovolt power transmission and transformation project was completed and put into operation. In 1998, three 110-kilovolt power transmission and transformation projects were newly built in Longshan Xincheng, Luxi Pushi, and Huayuan Jiamin. In 1999, the unmanned operation renovation of three 110-kilovolt substations—Yaxi, Qianzhou, and Xiaoxiqiao—was completed. By the end of 2000, the power grids of the prefecture's 8 counties and cities had 1 220-kilovolt substation, 13 110-kilovolt substations, and 19 35-kilovolt substations and switching stations, with a main transformer capacity of 813,500 kilovolt-amperes; 99 kilometers of 220-kilovolt transmission lines and 1,410 kilometers of 110-kilovolt and below transmission lines.
Entering the new century, grid construction in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture entered an even more rapid development track. In 1999, it firmly seized the opportunity of national urban and rural grid construction and renovation to comprehensively promote grid construction in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. During the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period, 3 substations—Yanrenpo, Pipachong, and the expansion of the Wanrongjiang 220-kilovolt substation—were newly built, with 4 main transformers and a capacity of 480,000 kilovolt-amperes, and 161 kilometers of new 220-kilovolt transmission lines; 18 110-kilovolt substations were newly built or expanded, with 14 main transformers and a capacity of 489,000 kilovolt-amperes, and 236 kilometers of new 110-kilovolt transmission lines; 210 kilometers of 35-kilovolt transmission lines were newly built or expanded; the urban grid renovation of Jishou City was completed; and rural distribution network renovation was completed in Jishou, Luxi, Baojing, Fenghuang, Guzhang, and Yongshun's Changguan Town. Rural grid renovation and rectification involved 890 villages, and one-meter-per-household renovation in rural areas was completed for 127,589 households, with a household meter renovation rate of 48.78%.
After years of effort, the power supply in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture improved greatly. By the end of 2005, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture had 3 220-kilovolt substations, 18 110-kilovolt substations, and 23 35-kilovolt substations, initially forming a prefecture-wide regional power transmission and transformation network with 6 220-kilovolt transmission lines as the backbone and 29 110-kilovolt transmission lines as the main trunk. The grid structure became increasingly rational, and the urban and rural power supply situation improved greatly. In 2005, the annual electricity sales volume reached 1.952 billion kilowatt-hours, the line loss rate was 5.11%, the voltage qualification rate was 98.67%, and the power supply reliability was 99.89%, satisfactorily meeting the provincial company's annual targets.