The first generating unit at the Song Jiangkou Hydropower Plant in Sichuan province, southwest China, was officially connected to the grid on June 26, marking the start of operation of this world-class hydropower project, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Song Giang Khau Hydropower Plant is located upstream of the Dai Do River, has an installed capacity of 2 million kilowatts and is expected to produce about 7.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
With a total reservoir capacity of about 2.9 billion m3 and a maximum design height of the dam of 315m, Song Giang Khau plant will significantly enhance the regulation capacity of downstream hydropower plants and consolidate flood control capabilities throughout the Dai Do river basin.
The Song Giang Khau project was approved in 2015. After 11 years of construction, the project has completed the 2nd reservoir water storage phase and safely operated the first generator unit.
Song Jiangkou Hydropower Plant is also expected to play an important role in China's energy transition process. When fully operational, the project will save about 17 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 46 million tons per year.
In addition to promoting the transmission of clean electricity from southwest China to other regions, the Song Jiangkou project will support the development of an integrated clean energy system combining hydropower, wind power and solar energy.
