A 110-kilovolt transformer station in the basement level 2 of the Shanghai Tower began supplying power on Monday to China's tallest building, which is still under construction in Lujiazui, Pudong.

The skyscraper with a built-up space of about 600,000 square meters will have a peak power load of up to 40,000 kilowatt-hours. To ensure stable power supply in Lujiazui which is dense with high-rises, Shanghai Power Company helped Shanghai Tower developer to build an exclusive transformer substation in its basement.

The station has two independent 40,000 kilovolt-ampere transformers, each capable of supporting the power load of the whole tower. Shanghai Power Company also built another 110-kilovolt transformer station on Jimo Road as a stand-by.

The company chose SF6 gas-insulated transformers to save space for the tower and laid the power cable to connect the tower with the grid without digging up surrounding roads. This alone saved Shanghai Tower developer more than 50 million yuan (US$ 8.26 million) of cost.

The company also used the so-called smart grid system to save energy.