Third Generator Unit of Wudongde Hydropower Station in Operation

The third generator unit of the Wudongde Hydropower Station was delivered to China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd.'s Wudongde Hydropower Plant and went into operation on July 11, after nearly 40 tests and a 72-hour trial operation.

The tests included anhydrous and watery adjustments, power inverse feeding and a load dump test.

The Wudongde Hydropower Station is the first cascade hydropower station in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River, a branch in the upper parts of the Yangtze River on the border of Southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

An international large-scale hydropower project completed since the 18th CPC National Congress held in 2012 and a big part of China's national West-East Electricity Transmission project, the station is the world's seventh and China's fourth-largest hydropower plant.

Construction of the station began in 2015 and the station is mainly used in power generation. It is also expected to contribute to flood control and shipping as well as promotion of regional economic and social development.

With twelve 850,000kW hydro-generator units, the largest of their kind in the world, the station has a total installed capacity of 10.2 million kW and is expected to produce 38.91 billion kWh of power annually.

It's worth mentioning that the Wudongde Hydropower Station has the world's thinnest 300-meter ultra-high arch dam and sets world records in another six fields. Several innovative technologies were developed during its construction.

Built by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), the station, with its three generator units, plays a big role in China's goals of ensuring stability in employment, financial operations, foreign trade, foreign and domestic investment, and expectations. It ensures security in job, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments.

Its operation is also significant in winning the battle of pandemic prevention and control and economic and social development as well as improving the national energy structure, realizing the goal of energy conservation and emission reduction, supporting the Yangtze River protection project and poverty alleviation and advancing development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

So far, the No.6, 7 and 8 generator units are in stable operation with all parameters meeting requirements.

All units are scheduled to be put into service in July 2021.

The No.8 generator unit starts operation on July 11. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Engineers monitor operation of the No.8 generator unit. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

A view of the Wudongde Hydropower Station over the Jinsha River [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)