Last Runner of Baihetan Hydropower Station Hoisted

The runner of No 9 hydro-generator unit of the Baihetan Hydropower Station of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) was hoisted on Dec 19, marking completion of all hydro-generator units' runners at the station, which is soon to start full operation.

The runner is a core component of a hydro-generator unit and one of the most difficult to develop and manufacture. It can determine the overflow capacity, hydraulic efficiency, cavitation erosion resistance performance and overall operational stability of the hydro-generator unit.

All runners of the Baihetan Hydropower Station were jointly developed, designed and manufactured by CTG and other domestic enterprises.

Each of the runners equipped on the left bank units consists of an upper crown, a lower ring and 15 blades. The 3.92 meter-high runner has a maximum outer diameter of 8.62 meters and weighs about 346.5 metric tons.

The runners of the Baihetan Hydropower Station meet CTG's high-quality manufacturing standards for 1 million-kW units, and four of them are regarded as the best "hearts" for hydro-generator units as they realized "zero counterweight" for huge runners for the first time in the world.

The last runner of the Baihetan Hydropower Station is hoisted on Dec 19, laying the foundation for full operation of the station. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

With a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts, the Baihetan Hydropower Station straddles Southwest China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and is the world's largest hydropower project under construction.

It features 16 sets of megawatt hydro-generator units on the left and right banks of the Jinsha River, ranking tops in the world in terms of unit capacity.

The first unit of the station was put into operation on June 28, 2021. Six units of the station now show normal and stable key operation indicators.

The Baihetan Hydropower Station is expected to be in full operation by July 2022. By then, the number of CTG's operating generator units on the Yangtze River will reach 110 and will have a total installed capacity of nearly 71.7 million kW.

Upon completion, the hydropower station will become the world's second-largest. 

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)