1263.5 cubic meters per second! The largest hydropower station under construction in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River successfully cuts off the flow

On the 11th, the State Energy Group announced that the Xulong Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River, which belongs to the group, had successfully diverted the river.

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Awesome! Internationally leading level

Xulong Hydropower Station is located in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. It is the largest hydropower station under construction in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, with an installed capacity of 2.4 million kW.

The plan adopted for diversion of the river this time is "single-pronged one-way vertical blocking", which blocks the riverbed at one time.

The interception flow standard reaches 1263.5 cubic meters per second.

The diversion method is "discharge from the high and low diversion holes on the left bank".

The length of the diversion dike is 110.11 meters.

From the perspective of hydraulic indicators, both the maximum interception flow rate and the maximum drop have reached the international leading level.

What is vertical blocking flow ?

The vertical blocking method is to throw the interception material from one end of the dragon mouth to the other end or from both ends to the middle, gradually narrowing the dragon mouth until it is completely blocked.

The construction process of the vertical blocking method is as follows: first, fill the diversion dike into the riverbed on one or both sides of the riverbed to gradually narrow the riverbed, which is called "occupation"; when the riverbed is narrowed to a certain water-passing section, stop (this section is called the dragon mouth), and carry out anti-scouring reinforcement (bottom protection and head wrapping) on ​​the riverbed and the end of the dragon mouth dike; then seize the opportunity to block the dragon mouth to close the dike; finally, in order to solve the leakage of the dike, it is necessary to immediately set up anti-seepage facilities (air-tightening) on ​​the water-facing side of the dike.

The vertical plugging method is suitable for riverbeds with large flow, rock foundation or thin overburden. Certain bottom protection measures should be taken for riverbeds with soft foundation.

Xulong Hydropower Station with “Three Highs and Three Bigs”

The main components of the Xulong Hydropower Station hub project include water retaining structures, flood discharge and energy dissipation structures, water diversion and power generation systems, and fish passage facilities. The construction of this project has the characteristics of "three highs and three bigs":

Three highs: high earthquake intensity, high dam area slope, and high environmental protection requirements;

Three major problems: difficulty in temperature control, large fluctuations in power generation flow, and difficulty in resettling immigrants.

The Xulong Hydropower Station after completion

Xulong Hydropower Station is expected to start generating electricity in 2029. After completion, the hydropower station will:

Annual power generation can reach 10.5 billion kW·h;

It can save 3.15 million tons of standard coal and reduce 7.86 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year;

The Xulong Hydropower Station is the embodiment of my country's clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy development strategy. Its construction will help accelerate the development and construction of the clean energy base in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, optimize my country's energy structure, and help achieve the "dual carbon" goal.

Advantages of building Xulong Hydropower Station here

Among the 13 major hydropower bases in my country, the Jinsha River Hydropower Base ranks first. The Jinsha River Hydropower Base is rich in water resources, with a reserve of 112.4 million kW·h, and technically exploitable water resources of 8891 kW·h, with an annual power generation of 504.1 billion kW·h, and its enrichment is second to none in the world.

At the same time, the hydropower of the Jinsha River Hydropower Base is leading the country in terms of development level, number of hydropower projects, technology intensity, and influence.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, Science and Technology Daily, etc.