A cross-river project designed to facilitate power transmission from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to Shanghai was launched in the city's Chongming district on July 30, according to the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co.

Serving as a key controllable node in the broader power transmission program, the project will pave the way for the construction and eventual completion of the entire transmission line.

Scheduled for completion and commissioning by the end of 2030, the project represents an investment of about 11.26 billion yuan ($1.67 billion). It is also the first major power grid project approved by Shanghai during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

The project will connect Chongming Island in Shanghai with Taicang in Jiangsu province, crossing beneath the Yangtze River's main navigation channel. It includes the construction of a newly built 12.2-kilometer under-river tunnel and a 1.83-kilometer onshore tunnel.

Once completed, the approximately 1,800-kilometer power transmission corridor from Inner Mongolia to Shanghai will be capable of delivering 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, with more than half generated from renewable sources. The project will facilitate the large-scale transmission of green electricity from Inner Mongolia while supporting Shanghai's transition toward a cleaner, lower-carbon energy mix.

In 2025, Shanghai imported 99.84 billion kWh of electricity through external transmission channels, accounting for 47.8 percent of the city's total electricity consumption. The new cross-river project will help meet Shanghai's growing electricity demand while providing reliable support for the development of strategic industries, including artificial intelligence and integrated circuits.

Source: China Daily