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China Makes History and Unveils the Lianghekou Mega Hydroelectric Power Plant. It Is Almost the Size of the Eiffel Tower and the Highest in the Country
There is a colossal hydroelectric power plant at an altitude of 3,000 meters. It generates 11 billion kWh of energy and is as large as the Eiffel Tower. It is worth highlighting the concept of hydroelectric plants, which are infrastructures that use hydraulic energy to produce large amounts of electricity. The design and distribution of its components allow for the harnessing of the force that impacts a water current on a turbine, causing it to spin at high speed. This spinning motion is transmitted through mechanisms so that an electric generator can harness it and generate electricity.
The use of a hydroelectric power plant is one of the most common ways to obtain electrical energy, given that the amount of energy is high compared to other systems. Furthermore, it utilizes a renewable resource like water.
China Unveils a Colossal Hydroelectric Power Plant
China makes history and unveils the Lianghekou mega hydroelectric power plant. It is almost the size of the Eiffel Tower and the highest in the country. It is a gigantic construction that boasts an average altitude of 3,000 meters, placing it above the other plants in China. It is located over the Yalong River in Garzê, in the southwest of the country. On the other hand, its total planned installed capacity is three million kW.
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This construction started almost ten years ago, in October 2014, and its developers completed it only in 2023. Analyzing the numbers, the approved investment is around 66.5 billion yuan, equivalent to 9.449 billion euros. The reservoir design allows it to reach nearly 11 billion cubic meters (m³), specifically 10,800.
Moreover, it is estimated that the annual energy production volume will exceed 11 billion kWh. The first unit of the hydroelectric power plant began operation in September 2021.
The Hydroelectric Power Plant in China Sets a Precedent
According to Yalong River Hydropower Development Company Ltd (YLHDC), at the highest point, the rock-fill dam rises 295 meters, reaching the level of the Eiffel Tower (which stands at around 300 m excluding the antenna). The hydroelectric power plant includes, among other elements, spillways, a ventilation tunnel, and an underground power plant.
The state news agency Xinhua points out that the hydroelectric power plant will be a turning point for the energy supply in Sichuan and the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.
The state agency published images and videos showing the hydroelectric power plant both outside and inside, including the rooms where operators work, the six power generation units, and monitoring equipment. The plant is located about 25 kilometers upstream from the county of Yajiang, in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Technical Details and the Colossal Construction
Overall, it measures 1.57 kilometers in length. Its water intake tower reaches a height of 115 meters, 160 in width, and 33 in length. Its high altitude allows it to reach an average altitude of 3,000 meters, the highest in the country for infrastructure of this kind and, according to the Global Times, the second highest in the world.
The Lianghekou hydroelectric power plant is one of the 22 plants that will operate in the main course of the Yalong, approved by the authorities in 2014. This is not the only project that places China in the spotlight. The construction of this gigantic infrastructure marks a milestone in the construction of hydroelectric works, demonstrating China’s capacity and ambition to lead in the renewable energy sector.
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