The connection was made possible by achieving mutual electricity transmission between the two grids, a move that will have national benefits.

The joining of the grids was done in a bid to optimise the distribution of power resources, realise mutual electricity supply and to strengthen disaster support and trans-regional transmission.

Before this final connection was made grids in north, northeast, central and eastern China were also connected. In the past the central and northern grids could not supply each other due to differing workloads.

The network will now join the eastern grid through direct current as well as the southern grid through the Three Gorges-Guangdong direct current project, which is now under construction, thus forming the framework of the national grid connection. This means that in the future electricity generated in the Three Gorges in central China will be directly transmitted to Beijing area.