- The first section of the water distribution ring pipe was recently installed in the machine pit at the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in Southwest China.
- According to data from the National Energy Administration, China had constructed more than 94,000 dams by December 2024, the largest number globally, and the country’s total installed hydropower capacity had reached 436 million kilowatts
The first section of the water distribution ring pipe was recently installed in the machine pit at the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.
This marks a milestone for the world’s largest single-unit capacity impulse turbine as it enters the core installation phase, according to the regional government’s official WeChat account on Sunday, August 3.
This 500 megawatt unit not only sets a new record but also turns into reality the blueprint for Xizang’s first hydropower project of the 1 million kilowatt level and the “strategic pivot” of the clean energy base in Xizang.
Manoeuvring a 411 ton “steel and iron” structure into a high-altitude canyon was a formidable clash between technology and nature.
The water distribution ring pipe, measuring 28 meters long, 25.2 meters wide, and 4 meters high, was divided into 13 segments for transport, according to a post on Xizang Fabu.
The first hoisted section, resembling a “giant bullet” with a 3.1-meter diameter and 95-millimetre wall thickness, weighed 32.1 tons. It was precisely positioned with millimetre-level accuracy by a 400-ton crane in the thin air and confined space of the machine pit, the post said.
From a technological perspective, the Sinohydro Bureau 7 Co employed building information modelling for 3D modelling and 1:1 physical mock-ups on the plateau, simulating the process digitally before on-site execution.
In collaboration with universities, the team developed an 800 megapascal high-strength steel welding process, enabling one-time hoisting with real-time adjustments.
On July 2, the world’s first single-unit 500 MW impulse turbine, developed by Harbin Electric Machinery Co. for the Datang Zala Hydropower Station, was delivered.
The independently developed impulse turbine consists of 21 precision water ladles, with an outer diameter of 6.23 meters, a thickness of 1.34 meters, and a weight of about 80 tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to data from the National Energy Administration, China had constructed more than 94,000 dams by December 2024, the largest number globally, and the country’s total installed hydropower capacity had reached 436 million kilowatts, including 377 million kilowatts of conventional hydropower, Xinhua reported in May.
Official figures show that annual hydropower generation is 1.42 trillion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 57 per cent of China’s total renewable energy output, according to the Xinhua report.