For decades, mankind has been trying to generate electricity with water, something that is considered impossible according to current physics, but which hydrogen has brought us closer to. However, China has taken a step forward with a colossal project set in the middle of an equally immense ecosystem. This is the hydroelectric plant that has experts in shock for a detail that does not go unnoticed: it is so big, it is increasing the length of days, and it measures as much as the Eiffel Tower.
This country has presented a mega hydroelectric plant: It’s so big, experts cannot believe this
Lianghekou hydropower plant, situated in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in Sichuan Province, China, must be regarded as one of the marvels of engineering as well as a clear manifestation of the Chinese authorities’ determined efforts to expand the use of renewable energy.
This hydropower plant is known as the highest and most powerful mega-hydropower project in China, and it is worth mentioning the outlet features, the nominal power and real efficiency. Now, we will go too deep into the specification of this great project and provide a brief description of similar and largest construction projects in the USA.
The Lianghekou hydropower plant lies at an average elevation of 3,000 meters, thus it is the highest hydropower plant in China. The project is located in the Yalong River, one of the cleanest energy sources in the country, and is seen as a component of China’s development plan for the integrated development of the Yangtze Economic Belt and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.
The Lianghekou hydropower plant will be completed with a total installed capacity of 3 million kilowatts and six generation units:
- The last 500,000-kilowatt power generation unit started its operation on March 18, 2022.
- With a perfect build-up by 2023, Lianghekou is progressing to have an annual power generation head of 3 million kW.
America is also developing hydropower on a large scale: These projects have the world on edge
As much as China has displayed great progress in the production of hydropower, there are also some renowned projects back in the United States. A famous hydropower plant in the USA is the Grand Coulee Dam, built across the Columbia River in Washington State. It has an installed capacity of 6,809 MW of electrical power and is the largest hydropower station in the United States.
The other major construction is what is known as the Hoover Dam, a dam constructed on the Colorado River separating Nevada from Arizona. Hoover Dam is one of the largest and most famous dams in the United States of America, completed in 1936. It has a total generation capacity of approximately, 2080 MW and supplies water as well as electricity to Nevada, Arizona and California.
It must be pointed out that although these US projects are also pioneering and great in their own right, their comparison is not quite suitable given that the Lianghekou hydropower plant is located on the hydrographic left bank of the Mekong River and its purposes, layout and design may be quite different from the mentioned US projects.
Up to 6 GW of energy was developed here: The biggest hydropower projects in America
The most important facility in this category is the Columbia River Basin, which covers several dams and power stations along the Columbia River and its branches. In the CU situation, the total installed capacity of the Columbia River Basin is said to be approximately 31,000 MW.
Some of the largest individual hydropower projects in the US include:
- Grand Coulee Dam (6,809 MW).
- Chief Joseph Dam (2,620 MW).
- John Day Dam (2,160 MW).
- The Dalles Dam (1,823 MW).
- Hoover Dam (2,080 MW).
It is as unpronounceable as it is massive, and the Lianghekou hydroelectric plant has been a historic milestone for the Asian country. China continues to be unstoppable in its advance towards 100% renewable energies, but it is making two clear mistakes. Do you know what they are? The first is to compromise natural spaces and put them at serious risk, as we have seen. The second is to depend excessively on complementary and non-clean sources, such as nuclear or “dirty” hydrogen (gray, black or purple).
