China's new mega hydropower station puts fourth power unit into operation

Over our trial operation, the fourth unit of Wudongde Hydropower Station was put into operation on July 13, after its first group of units was commissioned on June 29,  China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), the project owner and operator announced.

The Wudongde hydropower station is a major component of the West-to-East Power Transmission Initiative and a pillar project in the nation’s push to build a clean, low-carbon, secure and efficient energy system.

The station, located on the border of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in southwest China, has a total installed capacity of 10.2 million kilowatts, with an average annual generating capacity of 38.91 billion kilowatts.

The station will also serve as an important part of the Yangtze River Basin flood control system, as its reserved flood storage capacity is 2.44 billion cubic meters, equivalent to more than 170 West Lakes.

The station will become fully operational in July 2021 according to the schedule, when it will become the fourth-largest hydropower plant in China and the seventh-largest in the world.