China is building the world’s largest clean energy corridor

The Baihitan hydropower station, the world’s second largest in terms of total installed capacity, went into full operation on Tuesday at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in southwest China.

According to the Three Gorges Foundation, its entry into operation marks the completion of the world’s largest clean energy corridor, with six massive hydroelectric plants operating on the Yangtze River to transmit electricity from the resource-rich West to energy-intensive regions in the East.

The full commissioning of Baihetan came after the last of its 16 hydroelectric generating units completed a 72-hour trial run Tuesday morning. With a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts, Baihetan is second only to the Three Gorges Dam project in central Hubei Province.

Baihetan marks a breakthrough in manufacturing high-end equipment in China as it is equipped with 16 domestic hydroelectric generating units, each with a capacity of 1 million kilowatts, which is the capacity of the largest single unit in the world. company.

Li added that the full operation of Baihetan is of great significance to the change in China’s energy structure, the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the coordinated development of the country’s regional economy.

The six hydroelectric power plants on the Yangtze River, operated by the company, are expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, reducing coal consumption by 90 million tons and carbon emissions by 248 million tons.

Four of the stations, namely Wudongde, Baihetan, Xiluodu, and Xiangjiaba, are located on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River, while the other two stations, Three Gorges Dam and Jiuzuba, are located in the middle section of the river.

Together, they form an 1,800-kilometre hydropower corridor that also plays an important role in flood control, shipping, and water resource utilization in the Yangtze River Basin. (Xinhua)