A hydropower station consists of a hydraulic system, a mechanical system, and an electrical energy generation device. It is a water conservancy hub project that realizes the conversion of water energy into electrical energy. The sustainability of electrical energy production requires the uninterrupted utilization of water energy in hydropower stations.
By constructing a hydroelectric reservoir system, the distribution of hydraulic resources in time and space can be artificially regulated and changed to achieve sustainable utilization of hydraulic resources. In order to effectively convert the water energy in the reservoir into electrical energy, the hydropower station needs to be implemented through a hydro mechanical and electrical system, which mainly consists of pressure diversion pipes, turbines, generators, and tailpipes.
1、 Clean Energy Corridor
On August 11, 2023, China Three Gorges Corporation announced that the world’s largest clean energy corridor had 100 operating units, setting a new high for the year in terms of the number of units put into operation.
The six cascade power stations of Wudongde, Baihetan, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Three Gorges, and Gezhouba on the main stream of the Yangtze River for the operation and management of the Yangtze River power system together form the world’s largest clean energy corridor.
2、 China’s hydropower stations
1. Jinsha River Baihetan Hydropower Station
On August 3rd, the comprehensive groundbreaking ceremony of the Jinsha River Baihetan Hydropower Station was held at the bottom of the dam foundation pit. On that day, the world’s largest hydropower station under construction and installation, Baihetan Hydropower Station, entered the stage of comprehensive construction of the main project.
The Baihetan Hydropower Station is located on the lower reaches of the Jinsha River in Ningnan County, Sichuan Province and Qiaojia County, Yunnan Province, with a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts. After completion, it may become the world’s second largest hydropower station after the Three Gorges Dam.
The project is constructed by China Three Gorges Corporation and serves as the backbone power source for the national energy strategy of “West East Power Transmission”.
2. Wudongde Hydropower Station
The Wudongde Hydropower Station is located on the Jinsha River at the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. It is the first cascade of four hydropower stations in the underground section of the Jinsha River, namely Wudongde, Baihetan Hydropower Station, Xiluodu Hydropower Station, and Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station.
At 11:12 am on June 16, 2021, the last unit of Wudongde Hydropower Station, the world’s seventh and China’s fourth largest hydropower station, successfully completed a 72 hour trial operation and was integrated into Southern Power Grid, officially put into operation for power generation. At this point, all 12 units of Wudongde Hydropower Station have been put into operation for power generation.
The Wudongde Hydropower Station is the first mega hydropower project with a capacity of 10 million kilowatts that China has started construction and fully put into operation since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is an important supporting project for implementing the “West East Power Transmission” strategy and building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system.
3. Shilongba Hydropower Station
Shilongba Hydropower Station is the first hydropower station in China. It started construction in the late Qing Dynasty and was completed in the Republic of China. It was built by private capital at that time and is located in the upper reaches of Tanglang River in Haikou, Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province.
4. Manwan Hydropower Station
Manwan Hydropower Station is the most cost-effective large-scale hydropower station, and also the first million kilowatt hydropower station developed in the Lancang River main stream hydropower base. The upstream is Xiaowan Hydropower Station, and the downstream is Dachaoshan Hydropower Station.
5. Tianba Hydropower Station
The Tianba Hydropower Station is located on the Chuhe River in Zhenba County, Shaanxi Province. It starts from the Xiaonanhai Power Station and ends at the mouth of the Pianxi River in Zhenba County. It belongs to the fourth class small (1) type project, with the main building level being fourth class and the secondary building level being fifth class.
6. Three Gorges Hydropower Station
The Three Gorges Dam, also known as the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Hub Project or the Three Gorges Project, is a stepped hydropower station.
The Xiling Gorge section of the Yangtze River, located in Yichang City, Hubei Province, China, is the world’s largest hydropower station and the largest engineering project ever constructed in China.
The Three Gorges Hydropower Station was approved for construction by the National People’s Congress in 1992, officially started construction in 1994, started water storage and power generation in the afternoon of June 1, 2003, and completed in 2009.
Flood control, power generation, and shipping are the three major benefits of the Three Gorges Project, among which flood control is considered the most core benefit of the Three Gorges Project.
7. Baishan Hydropower Station
Baishan Hydropower Station is the largest hydropower station in Northeast China. It is a project that mainly generates electricity and has comprehensive utilization benefits such as flood control and aquaculture. It is the main peak shaving, frequency regulation, and emergency backup power source of the Northeast power system.
8. Fengman Hydropower Station
Fengman Hydropower Station, located on the Songhua River in Jilin City, Jilin Province, is known as the “mother of hydropower” and the “cradle of Chinese hydropower”. It was built during the Japanese occupation of Northeast China in 1937 and was the largest hydropower station in Asia at that time.
9. Longtan Hydropower Station
Longtan Hydropower Station, located 15 kilometers upstream of Tian’e County in Guangxi, is a landmark project of “West East Power Transmission”.
10. Xiluodu Hydropower Station
The Xiluodu Hydropower Station is located in the Jinsha River Gorge section at the junction of Leibo County in Sichuan Province and Yongshan County in Yunnan Province. It is one of the backbone power sources for China’s “West East Power Transmission”, mainly for power generation, and has comprehensive benefits such as flood control, sediment interception, and improvement of downstream shipping conditions.
11. Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station
The Xiangjiaba Hydropower Station is located at the border of Yibin City, Sichuan Province and Shuifu City, Yunnan Province, and is the last level hydropower station of the Jinsha River Hydropower Base. The first batch of units were put into operation for power generation in November 2012.
12. Ertan Hydropower Station
The Ertan Hydropower Station is located at the border of Yanbian and Miyi counties in Panzhihua City, southwestern Sichuan Province, China. It started construction in September 1991, the first unit started generating electricity in July 1998, and was completed in 2000. It is the largest power station built and put into operation in China in the 20th century.
Post time: Aug-27-2024
