Yangbajing Project in Tibet

On June 15, 2025, a new chapter marking the capability upgrade of the world’s highest-altitude power test and research base quietly unfolded. The construction project "WJQ-3000kVA/1500kV High-Altitude SF6 Gas-Insulated Test Transformer" successfully passed comprehensive acceptance. With its excellent performance and high stability, it fully meets a series of complex and rigorous test research challenges, such as those for UHV AC bushing equipment and gap discharge tests in areas at an altitude of 4,500 meters.

The introduction of this equipment not only significantly improves the performance indicators of electrical equipment in high-altitude areas—enabling it to handle discharge phenomena in external short-circuit tests with ease—but also builds a solid defense for the safe and stable operation of power equipment. This milestone achievement undoubtedly provides an unshakable technical foundation for in-depth exploration of power research in the special environment of high altitudes.

The R&D of test equipment for the "WJQ-3000kVA/1500kV High-Altitude SF6 Gas-Insulated Test Transformer" project was fully launched in March 2022. In July of the same year, the complete set of equipment—having passed strict factory tests—was shipped to the Yangbajing Test Base. However, as the high-voltage hall at Yangbajing was not yet ready for installation, all equipment components had to be temporarily stored outdoors. It was not until November 2023 that the team successfully completed the test on the 1100kV resin-impregnated paper capacitive transformer bushing at the outdoor site.

By December 2024, the equipment was finally moved into the high-voltage test hall. After approximately five months of intensive work, the commissioning and preparation were successfully completed on June 13, 2025, making it ready for acceptance.

On June 14, 2025, on-site acceptance work officially started, including withstand voltage tests, partial discharge tests, and overcurrent quick trip protection tests.

After two days, all key links of the tests passed acceptance smoothly. According to on-site self-test data, under the operating condition of 1500kV voltage and 656.8mA current, the partial discharge amount was 6.65pC.