China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has announced that the No.14 power unit on the right bank of its Baihetan hydropower station was successfully connected to the power grid on June 21, becoming the world's first GW-level hydraulic generator to undergo a power generation trial as the project races towards its official operation.
After commissioning, the generator will continue to run the load test program for further verification of its stability and performances in relevant parameters. Once the program is successfully completed, the unit will move into a 72-hour test run.
Baihetan hydropower station is a supporting project for the implementation of the West-to-East Power Transmission Initiative as well as the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system in China. Its first batch of units are scheduled to be commissioned by 1 July 2021, and all of its units are scheduled to be put into operation in July 2022.
Once in full operation, the station will be the world's second largest hydropower station after the Three Gorges dam, with an annual output of 62.443 billion kWh.
