Multiple Major Projects Accelerate Construction Progress; Major National Engineering Creates National Power

CCTV News: In recent days, several major projects in China have achieved breakthroughs, providing strong support for high-quality development in the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

China’s First 550-Megawatt F-Class Gas Turbine Unit Comes Online

On March 21, China’s first 550-megawatt F-class gas turbine unit—the Huadian Chongqing Tongnan Gas Turbine Project Unit 1—successfully completed 168 hours of full-load operation and officially went into power generation. This project features the largest capacity and highest efficiency F-class heavy-duty gas turbine unit in China. According to the project technical director, once fully operational, the unit is expected to generate about 2.1 billion kWh annually, enough to meet the electricity needs of 1.75 million households for a year, saving 200,000 tons of standard coal annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 860,000 tons.

It is reported that the unit can operate in island mode and quickly restore power supply in case of sudden grid failures. This 550-megawatt F-class gas-fired power generation unit, which has now come into operation, is hailed as “the jewel in the crown of industry.” It is not a simple replacement for traditional coal power but a key component in a new power system dominated by renewable energy, providing large-capacity, efficient, and clean support power.

Experts say that the biggest feature of this gas turbine unit is its fast load adjustment speed, taking only about an hour from startup to full load—about five times faster than traditional coal units. In the current context of rapid development of renewable energy, it can effectively compensate for the instability of renewable power generation, providing strong support and backup for grid safety and stability.

Sichuan Discovers the World’s Second Largest Active Light Rare Earth Mineral Deposit

Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced the latest mineral exploration results. The resource verification and exploration project at the Yakouping Mine in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, confirmed a total resource of 9.6656 million tons of rare earth oxides, along with by-products of 27.1354 million tons of fluorite and 37.2277 million tons of barite.

Fluorite, an important mineral raw material in modern industry, is widely used in aerospace, refrigeration, medicine, electronics, machinery, and nuclear energy. The largest use of barite includes the oil and natural gas drilling industry, with important applications in chemical industry, fillers, and medical imaging. It is understood that the Yakouping rare earth mine ranks second in the world in terms of proven reserves of active rare earth mine resources, only after the Baiyun Ebo Mine in Baotou, Inner Mongolia.

Fengyun-4C Satellite Releases First Observation Images

On March 21, the China Meteorological Administration released the first set of observation images from Fengyun-4C, marking that China has established an independent and controllable real-time monitoring capability from the sun to the Earth. The Fengyun-4C satellite was successfully launched on December 27, 2025, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It is currently the most powerful single-satellite comprehensive observation meteorological satellite in the world. Following the principles of “testing, application, and service,” Fengyun-4C will be put into operational trial during this year’s main flood season, enhancing short-term weather systems, especially the monitoring and early warning capabilities of small- and medium-scale weather systems.