By balancing supply and demand in real time, the facility not only enhances grid reliability but also supports the large-scale adoption of intermittent renewables like wind and solar by about 2.6 billion kWh annually. That saves 165,000 tons of standard coal consumption, and reduces 496,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Lu said the station has six functions: peak shaving, frequency regulation, phase modulation, energy storage, spinning reserve, and black start.

"With the increasing integration of renewable energy capacity in Xinjiang, the demand for flexible power sources will continue to rise. After starting operations, the station has had a significant impact on the safe and stable operation of the power grid and the integration and consumption of renewable energy," Lu said.

However, the role of the power plant transcends grid stabilization. Lu said its construction had helped in the acquiring of valuable building experience and nurtured talent for future projects. Exchange programs and training sessions have since been held to share construction and operational expertise across Xinjiang.

The power station has also improved the fragile local environment — characterized by high altitudes and climate extremes of aridness and cold — through reservoir water evaporation that increases precipitation.

After conducting research, Lu and his colleagues carefully chose seeds and cultivated shrubs sourced from nearby regions, to increase the vegetation coverage and improve the local ecology.

"Two years after the station's operations began, wapitis (elks), foxes and wild boars reappeared and birds have settled in the reservoirs in summer, which is a sign of a better environment," Lu added.