Operation of Huaneng Xiaowan Hydropower Station, a Key National Project and aLandmark Project of the “West-East Power Transmission” Program

September 25, 2009, the first unit of Huaneng Xiaowan Hydropower Station was put into operation,a landmark project of the “West-East Power Transmission” program. 

September 25, 2009, the first unit of Huaneng Xiaowan Hydropower Station was put into operation, a key national project and a landmark project for a large-scale development of the western regions and the “West-East Power Transmission” program of Yunnan.

The construction of Huaneng Xiaowan Hydropower Station officially started in January 2002, with 6 hydro turbine generator sets of 700MW each, with a planned installed capacity of 4.2 GW. After all the units are put into operation in 2010, the annual output is expected to reach 19 billion KWh.

The construction of Huaneng Xiaowan Hydropower Station set a number of world records: highest double arc dam, highest side slopes and units with the highest water head in the world. Also during its construction,a number of world-class difficulties in design and engineering were overcome, including the pouring of a 300m-class double arc dame, excavation of super-large underground grottos and the world’s highest side slopes, 46 GW flood discharge for energy dissipation, installation of units with the world’s highest waterhead. In particular, Huaneng successfully solved the temperature-controlled pouring of concrete for a 300m dam, which was a world-class headache, offering experience to the whole country and even the world that can be used for reference in building high dams.