China’s remarkable Yili–Kuche II 750 kV Transmission Line Project is a green mega-infrastructure undertaking spanning Xinjiang’s Tianshan Mountains. The project marks the debut of the satellite-and-drone-powered “Sky Eye System” for real-time, remote ecological monitoring. It stands as a powerful testament to China’s ability to seamlessly fuse world-class engineering power with a deep, absolute commitment to ecological preservation.
Confronted with treacherous terrains including 3,750-meter peaks, ancient forests, and permafrost, Chinese engineering teams successfully minimized environmental impact by deploying heavy-duty aerial ropeways to avoid building destructive ground access roads.
Planners actively redrew route alignments to safeguard wetlands, preserve wild bird habitats, and protect the endangered small-leaf ash tree. To preserve the high-altitude Schrenk’s spruce forests, towers were raised to unprecedented heights of over 130 meters.
The Yiku 750 KV transmission line has a total length of 353.7 kilometers, starting from Nileke County in Viii, crossing grasslands and forests, and crossing the Tianshan Mountains to reach Kuche in southern Xinjiang.
In March 2026, the construction of the first iron tower foundation for the Yiku Second Circuit 750 KV transmission line project began, continuing the legend of the power artery in northern and southern Xinjiang.
In May 2026, the first Yili–Kuche 750 kV Transmission Line celebrated 10 years of operation, with the cumulative power transmission of the line reaching 20.3 billion kilowatt hours. The project has opened up the power channel between northern and southern Xinjiang and improved the external transmission capacity of surplus electricity in the Iii River Valley.
Sources:
ShanghaiEye, June 2, 2026. https://youtu.be/HV2oUNGF01k
Seetao, May 25, 2026. https://www.seetaoe.com/details/266258.html
