First 700-Megawatt Unit of China's Three Gorges Underground Power Station Completes Trial

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The first 700-megawatt (MW) unit (Unit 32) of the Three Gorges Underground Power Station successfully completed a 72-hour trial operation on May 12, 2011. The test results show that the performance of the unit is better than expected, China Three Gorges Group Corporation (Yichang, Hubei) announced on May 13, 2011.

Unit 32 was designed and manufactured by Harbin Electric Works Company Limited (Harbin, Heilongjiang). China Gezhouba Group Mechanical and Electrical Construction Company Limited (Yichang) is responsible for the erection and commissioning of the project.

Mechanical and electrical erection of the unit began on April 1, 2010. On April 18, the erection and dry testing for the unit was completed. The tailrace, spiral case and penstock of the unit was filled with water and completed with related testing under static water April 25-27. On April 28, the unit was started up for dynamic testing.

Following the completion of the startup test, no-load tests and load tests, the unit was put into 72-hour trial operation on May 9, 2011. During the trial operation, various operating conditions of the unit were found to be within specifications. After about one week of optimization and adjustment, the unit will be put into commercial operation.

As the largest hydropower project in the world, the Three Gorges Project was originally designed to have total 26 units, each with capacities of 700 MW. The Right Bank Power Station had 14 units, and the Left Bank Power Station had 12 units. After 17 years of construction, all of these units were put into operation in 2008.

The Underground Power Station, located inside the mountain in the right bank of the Three Gorges Dam, is the third and final power station of the Three Gorges Project. The power station will be furnished with six 700-MW hydraulic turbine-generating units. According to the schedule, three units will be commissioned within this year, and another three in 2012. Upon completion, the total installed capacity of the Three Gorges Project will be expanded from 18,200 MW to 22,400 MW, which will greatly improve the peak regulation capacity of the Three Gorges Project.

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