In just one day, China dammed a huge river in two spots to build a mega hydropower project in the southwestern province of Sichuan, according to China Electric Power News under the National Energy Administration.
Advertisement
The flow of the Yalong River, a secondary tributary of the Yangtze River, was intercepted as the first step in the construction of two large hydropower projects on Tuesday. They have a combined installed capacity of 2.7 million kilowatts (kW).
Upon completion, these two hydropower stations – Mengdigou and Yagen Stage I – are projected to generate electricity equivalent to 3.5 million tonnes of coal annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 9 million tonnes each year.
“This marks the first time in the Yalong River that two hydropower stations have achieved a synchronised blockade, representing a new breakthrough in the construction of the country’s first water-solar-wind integrated base,” the newspaper said.
The stations are part of China’s pioneering model for integrating three renewable energy sources. The plan envisions four such water-solar-wind facilities located along the Yalong River, with a total planned installed capacity of 78 million kW, scheduled for completion by 2035.
Advertisement
“The 100 per cent renewable energy supply system, with hydropower at its core, is designed to be a blueprint for integrated water-solar-wind projects across China’s major river basins. It aims to serve as a global exemplar for green and low-carbon transformation,” according to the report.
