The world’s largest green, clean, and renewable energy base achieved a significant milestone on Thursday, surpassing a cumulative power generation of 1 trillion kilowatt-hours. This monumental achievement, equivalent to meeting local electricity demands for three years, underscores the pivotal role played by the Yalong River Hydropower-Wind-Photovoltaic Integrated Base in optimizing power supply structures, ensuring reliable electricity provision, and advancing China’s “dual carbon” goal.
Nestled in the Yalong River Basin of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the integrated base boasts abundant hydro, wind, and solar resources, making it a beacon of sustainable energy development. Developed under the unified leadership of the Yalong River Hydropower Development Company Ltd., and with planning and research spearheaded by the POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited, this base stands as one of China’s nine major clean energy hubs.
The Yalong River Base hosts seven large hydropower stations and five new energy projects, boasting a total installed capacity nearing 21 million kilowatts and an annual power generation capacity of approximately 90 billion kilowatt-hours. Notably, POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited has been instrumental in planning and executing landmark projects, including the Ertan Hydropower plant, Jinping I, Lianghekou, Guandi, and Tongzilin, among others.
Moreover, the corporation’s contributions extend to pioneering wind energy initiatives such as the Dechang Wind Farm, and large-scale wind and photovoltaic base projects like the Laba Mountain Wind Farm and the Keira Phase I Photovoltaic Power Station, the latter being the world’s highest altitude and largest water-photovoltaic complementary project.
The strategic positioning of key hydropower stations like Lianghekou and Jinping I, in conjunction with the Ertan Hydropower Station, has established the Yalong River as the nation’s best-regulated large river. Notably, the Ertan Hydropower Station represents a leapfrog in China’s hydropower development, while Jinping Hydropower Station stands as a pinnacle in hydropower engineering.
Presently, POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited is at the forefront of constructing pivotal projects, including the Daofu project, the Lianghekou Mixed Storage Project, and the Mengdigou, Yagen, and Lenggu hydropower stations. These endeavors not only accelerate the advancement of preliminary project research and design but also bolster the construction of the Yalong River Basin base.
With a legacy dating back to the 1950s, POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited’s ongoing efforts in hydropower resource surveys have uncovered vast potentials within the Yalong River Basin. Estimates indicate a hydroelectric exploitable capacity of approximately 30 million kilowatts, complemented by wind and solar resources exceeding 60 million kilowatts and pumped storage potential surpassing 10 million kilowatts. The integrated base’s total scale transcends 100 million kilowatts, marking a significant stride towards sustainable energy development.