Baihetan's first 1-GW generators mark 100 days of safe operations

Baihetan hydropower station, owned by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), has seen its No.1 and No.14 power units maintain safe and stable operation in the first 100 days of operation on October 6, marking a milestone in the localization of major hydropower equipment.

Baihetan hydropower station is designed to install a total of 16 1-GW hydraulic generators on its left and right banks. The single-unit capacity is the largest in the world.  Its No.1 unit on the left bank and the No.14 unit on the right bank were successfully put into operation on June 28.

On top of the international standard of 72-hour trial operation, CTG proposed a standard of achieving stable operation for the first 100 days. That means keeping a new unit stable and safe in its first 100 days of operation, designed to test and measure the levels of manufacturing, installation and commissioning, and operation management.

Baihetan hydropower station is located on the Jinsha River between Ningnan County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, and Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. With a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts, it is the largest hydropower station under construction in the world, and will be the world's second largest hydropower station after the Three Gorges Dam when it’s fully operational.

The first power units of the plant have been put into operation on June 28. Up to now, 4 units have been commissioned, having generated more than 7 billion kWh of electricity.  The installation and commissioning of the remaining generators are proceeding in an orderly manner, and the station is expected to be fully operational by July 2022.