A new power generation unit of Baihetan hydropower station in southwest China passed a 72-hour trial and started formal operation on Monday. Half of the all power generation units of the mega project are now in operation.

The Baihetan hydropower station, a 16-gigawatt hydroelectric facility, is located on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River. It transmits electricity from the resource-rich west to energy-hungry regions in east China, marking a major step in the country's utilization of clean energy. 

"As Unit 5 has successfully started operation, half of the 16 million kilowatts power-generating units in Baihetan hydropower station have been put into operation for electric power generation, and we are making an all-out effort to the full entry into operation of all units," said Tu Yangwen, deputy director of the construction department of the Baihetan hydropower station at China Three Gorges Project Corporation.

"So far, the units that have been put into production are operating stably with good indicators, and they are all up to the notch," Tu added.

Since last June when the first power units were put into operation, the hydropower station has produced over 26,900 gigawatt-hours of electricity, according to Wang Zhilin, who heads the Baihetan project construction at China Three Gorges Corporation. 

Once fully operational, the hydropower station will generate an average of more than 62,400 gigawatt-hours of electricity every year, sufficient for the annual electricity consumption of approximately 75 million people.

The main construction project of the hydropower station started in July 2017, and the first two generating units started operation in July 2021.

(With input from Xinhua)