CTG installs core component for world’s first 1GW hydraulic generator

Baihetan hydropower station, built and owned by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), finished installation of the runner for its first power unit on June 21, kicking off the assembly of hydraulic turbines for the world’s first 1-gigawatt hydraulic generator.

The station has a total installed capacity of 16 GW, with eight 1-GW hydraulic generators installed on the left and right banks respectively. The generator is the world’s largest in terms of capacity for a single unit.

The runner, known as the heart of the hydraulic generator, determines the discharge capacity and hydraulic efficiency of the hydraulic turbine as well as the reliability of the entire generator.

Runners of the 16 generators of the station are all manufactured and processed on site. The runner installed on July 21 is for the No.1 power unit on the left bank. It has a maximum outer diameter of 8.62 meters, a height of 3.92 meters, and a weight of 346.5 tons.

The power unit is scheduled to be one of the first batches of power units to be put into operation. With the runner installed, the project is about to enter the phase of power unit installation, laying a solid foundation for the operation of the first batch of power units in July next year.