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Bulk electrical power extraction through tunnel transmission technology from renewable energy concentrated zones
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  • Published: 02 April 2026

Bulk electrical power extraction through tunnel transmission technology from renewable energy concentrated zones

  • Haoyang Fan  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0450-80501,2,
  • Qi Huang  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8637-02692,3,4,5,
  • Zhenyuan Zhang2,
  • Arsalan Habib Khawaja6,
  • Kaiji Liao2,7,
  • Xiaotian Tang2 &
  • …
  • Mohammad Shahidehpour  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8994-16888 

Nature Communications , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Energy grids and networks
  • Energy modelling
  • Renewable energy

Abstract

Mountainous regions, such as the Alps, Appalachians, Andes, and Qingzang Plateau, offer vast renewable energy potential, but geographical and ecological challenges limit conventional overhead transmission lines. Underground alternatives, including gas-insulated lines and cables, provide viable solutions but require comprehensive techno-economic evaluation for sustainable deployment. This study integrates multi-physics analysis, combining electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid dynamics, with lifecycle cost assessment per unit transmission task to compare overhead and underground tunnel transmission systems. Optimized conductor designs and ventilation strategies enhance cable capacity and improve economic performance, particularly in regions with high external costs. Here, we show that underground tunnel based power transmission systems, especially gas-insulated lines, deliver cost-effective, high-capacity transmission solutions for mountainous renewable energy concentrated regions, outperform overhead power transmission infrastructure when external costs, including ecological, landscape, and infrastructure constraints, are significant, thus advancing the goals of sustainable renewable energy integration and net-zero.

Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3022657971. The repository contains the numerical outputs of the finite-element simulations (electromagnetic, thermal, and ventilation scenarios) and derived results that underpin the figures and tables reported in the main text and Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper.

Code availability

The custom MATLAB and Python codes used for data processing, figure generation, current-carrying capacity calculations, and ventilation optimization are available in figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3022656772. The repository includes the complete scripts referenced in the paper together with the input data needed to run them.

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Acknowledgements

This research is partially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant no. U23A20651). Q. H.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical Engineering and Electronic Information, Xihua University, Chengdu, China

    Haoyang Fan

  2. School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

    Haoyang Fan, Qi Huang, Zhenyuan Zhang, Kaiji Liao & Xiaotian Tang

  3. Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED), Beijing, China

    Qi Huang

  4. School of Information and Control Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China

    Qi Huang

  5. Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC), Beijing, China

    Qi Huang

  6. Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

    Arsalan Habib Khawaja

  7. Sichuan Electric Power Company Marketing Service Center, State Grid, Chengdu, China

    Kaiji Liao

  8. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mohammad Shahidehpour

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Contributions

Conceptualization, Q.H. and H.F.; Methodology, H.F., Z.Z., and X.T.; Validation, Q.H., Z.Z., A.H.K., and M.S.; Formal Analysis, H.F. and A.H.K.; Investigation, H.F. and Q.H.; Resources, Q.H. and K.L.; Writing—Original Draft, H.F.; Writing—Review & Editing, Q.H., A.H.K., Z.Z., and M.S.; Visualization, H.F., A.H.K., and K.L.; Funding Acquisition, Q.H.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qi Huang.

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Fan, H., Huang, Q., Zhang, Z. et al. Bulk electrical power extraction through tunnel transmission technology from renewable energy concentrated zones. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71221-5

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  • Received: 17 February 2025

  • Accepted: 13 March 2026

  • Published: 02 April 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71221-5

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