China Huadian's Ahai Hydropower Station Begins Reservoir Impounding

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources China (Beijing, China)--Following final approval from the National Development and Reform Commission in January this year, the river diversion gate was closed at the site of the Ahai Hydropower Station. This begins the reservoir impounding for the project, which will allow for timely commissioning of the first unit in 2012, China Huadian Corporation (Beijing) announced on December 13, 2011.

Ahai Hydropower Station, which is at the boundary of Yulong County and Ninglang County of Lijiang City, in the Yunnan province, is the fourth project of an eight-step cascade development scheme with a total capacity of 20.58 gigawatts that has been planned for the middle stream of the Jinsha River. The main purpose of the project will be power generation, with diversified benefits in irrigation, water supply and flood control. The project mainly comprises a 140-meter-high, roll-and-compact-concrete gravity dam, which will form a reservoir with a total storage capacity of 885 million cubic meters under the normal pool level of 1,504 meters above sea level. The structures will support a powerhouse, which will be furnished with five Francis hydraulic-turbine generating units, each of 400 MW. Total investment in the project will be about $1.5 billion.

Yunnan Jinsha River Hydropower Company Limited (Kunming, Yunnan) is responsible for the construction and future operations of the project. The company is a joint venture of China Huadian Corporation (33%), China Huaneng Group (Beijing) (23%), China Datang Corporation (Beijing) (23%), Hanergy Holding Group (Beijing) (11%) and Yunnan Investment Group (Kunming, Yunnan) (10%).

The river diversion works is contracted to Sinohydro Engineering Bureau No.3 Company Limited (Xi'an, Shaanxi), which is now a member of the newly established Power Construction Corporation of China (Beijing). Despite the fact that the project was not approved until January 2011 due to concerns in environmental protection, the river diversion of the project was achieved in late 2008.

According to the schedule, the first unit of the project will begin operations in 2012, and the whole project will be completed in 2013.

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