Half of power units go operational at China's mega hydropower station

(ECNS) -- Half of the power-generating units in southwest China’s Baihetan hydropower station have gone operational after the eighth power-generating unit, No.5 unit, passed a 72-hour trial operation Monday and started formal operation.

The mega project has a total of 16 power-generating units, with a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts.

The Baihetan hydropower station is located on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River. It transmits electricity from the resource-rich west to energy-consuming regions in east China, marking a major step in the country's utilization of clean energy. It is the largest and most technically difficult hydropower project under construction in the world.

Once fully operational, the hydropower station will generate an average of more than 62.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, sufficient for the annual electricity consumption of approximately 75 million people. It can replace about 19.68 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 52 million tons.