Hydropower stations in Yichang back up China's Summer Electricity Consumption Peak
Electricity demand across China is expected to increase this year as temperatures soar and air conditioning usage surges.
The country's maximum electrical load this summer is expected to exceed 1.36 billion kilowatts, posing potential shortages in some provinces during peak periods, according to the National Energy Administration.
The Three Gorges Hydropower Station and the Gezhouba Hydropower Station in Yichang City serve as two of the backbone nodes of China's west-to-east power transmission program. They play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, managing peak power loads and mitigating electricity shortages in East China and Central China.
The Three Gorges Hydropower Station and the Gezhouba Hydropower Station, together with the Wudongde Dam, the Baihetan Dam, the Xiluodu Dam, and the Xiangjiaba Dam, form the world's largest clean energy corridor built on the Yangtze River.
Three Gorges Hydropower Station (Photo by Zheng Jiayu)
The six dams are equipped with 110 hydropower units, boasting a total installation capacity of about 71 million kilowatts. They have earned the title of the "clean energy corridor" as they can generate an average annual power of 300 billion kWh through joint scheduling, which can save more than 90 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 240 million tons.
Since the beginning of July this year, the clean energy corridor has mobilized 97 of its hydropower units, with the highest single-day power generation exceeding 900 million kWh, and the peak-load regulation amount reaching 28 million and 32 million kilowatts on July 11 and July 12, 2023, respectively. Both days broke the historical record of 26.18 million kilowatts of peak-load regulation set in 2022.
Gezhouba Hydropower Station
Li Peng, a deputy chief engineer from China Three Gorges Corporation which constructed the Three Gorges Hydropower Station, says that the station has been making full use of precious water resources to generate power while ensuring the safety of flood control and protection.
The Three Gorges Hydropower Station has reached a new milestone ten days ago, having generated more than an overall 1.6 trillion kWh of electricity since its debut in 2012, which is equivalent to saving 480 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.32 billion tons.
