The Yeba Beach Hydropower Station Photo: Screenshot from Xizang Fabu

The Yeba Beach Hydropower Station, a major project in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the highest-altitude concrete double-curved arch dam in China, began water impoundment on Monday, officially entering the preparation phase for the commissioning and operation of its first batch of the generating units, Xizang Fabu reported on Tuesday.

The Yeba Hydropower Station is located at the junction of Baiyu county in Sichuan Province and Konjo county in Xizang Autonomous Region, which is a key component of the clean energy base in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River.

Situated at an average altitude of 3,000 meters, the station has a total installed capacity of 2.24 million kilowatts and a reservoir capacity of 1.08 billion cubic meters. The 217-meter-high dam under construction is the highest-altitude concrete double-curved arch dam in China. Dam concrete pouring began in August 2022, and the first units are scheduled to start generating electricity ar the end of 2025, according to the news report.

During the construction process, participating teams overcame harsh conditions such as high altitude, low pressure, oxygen deficiency, and extreme cold and dryness. They tackled technical challenges including high dam seismic resistance, continuous construction in winter, and temperature control to prevent cracking. 

To date, no temperature-induced cracks have been found in the dam’s concrete, and a 38.1-meter-long concrete core sample was extracted, breaking the world record for concrete core sampling in a double-curved arch dam, said the report.

After its commissioning, the Yeba Beach Hydropower Station is expected to generate an average annual electricity output of over 10.2 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to saving nearly 4 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 7.37 million tons each year. 

The clean electricity produced there will be transmitted to Central China through the world’s highest-altitude ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission lines. It will play a significant role in optimizing China’s energy structure and promoting the high-quality economic and social development of the Sichuan-Xizang region, the report noted.


Global Times