Tibet improves power construction, straightens “last mile” for poverty alleviation

“We got electricity!” Amid a burst of joyful shouts at 2:26 p.m. on June 10, houses in Garmai township, Sog county, Nagqu, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, were illuminated, marking that all the 928 Tibetan households in Sog county were connected to safe and stable power supply.

Construction of power grid in the areas of extreme poverty including Tibet is critical for China’s poverty alleviation. To complete the task, the State Grid Zhejiang Electronic Power Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), paired up with Nagqu power supply company, helping the latter build a power grid with the highest altitude, the widest coverage, the largest investment, the harshest natural environment and the most complex construction conditions in Tibet.

Since the paired assistance began, 11 municipal-level companies under the State Grid Zhejiang Electronic Power Co., Ltd. have dispatched 220 managers and technicians to Nagqu, launching 12 projects. They benefited more than 100,000 impoverished people from 24,935 households by building and upgrading 3,913.82 kilometers of 10-kV or below power lines. The total investment added up to 1.03 billion yuan ($147.29 million).

The Jiaxing branch of State Grid Zhejiang Electronic Power Co., Ltd. paired up with Sog county and invested over 44.89 million yuan in relevant endeavors. The branch has newly built and upgraded 177 kilometers of mid- and low-voltage power lines and installed 55 distribution transformers for the county. After the installation of distribution transformers in Garmai township on May 18, all the five major projects of the power distribution network in Sog county were ready for power transmission.

“Electricity meters need to be installed for another 73 households, and we can surely finish our task ahead of schedule,” said Zhong Qi, head of the assistance team of the Jiaxing branch on May 26.

Zhong and 15 of his colleagues left Jiaxing for Sog county about a few months ago. On the second day of their arrival, Zhong started working on a management framework and working mechanism according to local conditions.

Since materials and equipment were not able to be transported to the county due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhong and his team members tracked the production and transportation of relevant goods and materials every day with suppliers through phone calls or online. Later, the team established a “one-to-many” communication mechanism between its material management staff members and suppliers.

By April 18, all the materials needed had arrived in Sog county, laying a solid foundation for the smooth progress of the distribution network projects.

Besides the staff members dispatched to Sog county for its power distribution network projects, the Jiaxing branch has also provided professional support for Sog county during the whole construction process.

The branch provided targeted training for local electricity workers based on their advantageous experience, by explaining relevant knowledge during onsite demonstration, holding lectures, and writing operating instructions.

“The key part in helping with the power projects of Sog county is to enhance the practical knowledge and skills of our counterparts in the locality, so as to solve the ‘last mile’ problem for poverty alleviation and boost the endeavor of the poor residents to shake off poverty,” said He Ping, a member of the assistance team of the Jiaxing branch.

Over the years, batches of professionals have been sent from various parts of the country to Tibet, taking up the relay baton to train local electricity workers so as to enhance their strength.

These professionals have shared with their local counterparts experience in such aspects of power projects as construction organization, quality control, safety management, logistics management, and sorting data, significantly improving the professional skills of electricity workers in Nagqu and Nyingchi prefecture of Tibet.

These assistance teams have not only brought standardized work procedures of power distribution network to Tibet, but also helped local electricity workers master practical skills and technologies for industrialized construction of power distribution networks by combining with theoretical guidance with onside practice.

With the help of technologies for industrialized construction of power distribution networks, Nagqu’s Satso village with an altitude of 4,500 meters was connected with the main power grid of Tibet and gained full access to power supply.

At present, as the work procedure on the plateau is largely reduced, more and more Tibetan villages are connected to stable power supply.