First Chinese-Made 700-Megawatt Turbine Generator Surpasses Output Goal

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The first Chinese-made 700-megawatt (MW) turbine generator (Unit 26) in the Three Gorges project is reported to have recorded 100 consecutive days of safe operation as of October 17, 2007. Results show that the unit is stable and reliable in operation and that various technical indicators, such as temperature, vibration, run-out, pressure pulsation and discharge are satisfactory. The unit's output reached 700 MW smoothly, and maximum output even reached 756 MW during the first 100 days.

On the same day, the second Chinese-made 700-MWturbine-generator (Unit 18) of the Three Gorges project passed the 72-hour trial operation smoothly in the Right Bank Power Station.

The project has 32 sets of 700-MW units, the largest of its kind in the world in single-unit capacity. Before this project, China only had the design and manufacture experience for 320-MW hydraulic turbine-generating units.

When construction began, the construction commission decided to accept international bids for the 14 units in the Left Bank power station based on the roadmap of import, assimilation, absorption and renovation. Harbin Electric Works Limited Company (HEW) (Heilongjiang, China) and Dongfang Electrical Machinery Company Limited (DEMC) (Sichuan, China), two leading manufacturers in the sector, were selected as the technical receivers to participate into the joint design and subcontracting for the station and to start independent design and manufacture for the Right Bank power station. HEW and DEMC each won orders to supply four units for the Right Bank station. A Chinese manufacturer also recently won six units for the underground power station. Unit 26 was designed and manufactured by HEW, and Unit 18 unit was designed and manufactured by DEMC.

So far, 17 units were put into operation in the Three Gorges project, increasing installed capacity to 11,900 MW. As of October 17, 2007, the project's accumulated power output reached about 196 billion kilowatt-hours.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading marketing information services company for the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy-related markets throughout the world. For more than 24 years, IIR has provided accurate and timely intelligence through products such as plant and project information databases, focused market databases, industry forecasting, key industry contacts, industry and territorial map products, direct marketing services and applications, and daily industry news.