The first units at the 10.2GW Wudongde hydropower plant in China began operating successfully on 29 June 2020, with the project on target to have all 12 850MW units in operation in 2021.
The first units were placed in operation under the direction of Zhang Jianhua, Head of National Energy Administration. Voith Hydro designed and manufactured unit 6, one of the first units to be put into operation.
Voith is responsible for the engineering, manufacturing and supervision of on-site installation and commissioning of the six units on the left bank of the plant – with the power units provided the largest ever commissioned in the world in terms of unit capacity.
The project implementation phase included many new challenges, said Voith. During the engineering stage, Voith engineers leveraged the company’s global and Chinese experience and proposed final solutions after rounds of studies, analysis and demonstration. In the manufacturing process, Voith implemented full-process, all-round quality control in raw materials testing, purchases, assembly, welding, machinery processing and other process steps. While the equipment was being installed on site, Voith technical instructors were actively involved in every installation process.
“Putting the first units of Wudongde hydropower plant into successful operation marks a new and important milestone for Voith in the hydropower sector in China and even in the world,” said Stephen Lewis, President and CEO of Voith Hydro APAC. “As an equipment supplier, Voith is honoured to join the construction of Wudongde hydropower plant, which plays a key role in the ‘West to East Power Transmission’ national project. We will continue to participate in and support the development of China's hydropower.”
Wudongde hydropower plant ranks seventh in the world and fourth in China in terms of installed capacity. It is a multipurpose project providing flood protection, inland navigation and promoting local social and economic development in addition to generating clean power.
