The Zhaoping hydropower station on the main stream of the Guijiang River in Zhaoping County in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region operates at full capacity due to recently abundant rainfall and high-water levels on June 5, 2025. Photo: VCG

The first section of the water distribution ring pipe was recently installed in the machine pit at the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, a milestone for the world's largest single-unit capacity impulse turbine, as it enters the core installation phase, the regional government's official WeChat account reported on Sunday. 

This 500 megawatt unit not only sets a new record but also turns into reality the blueprint for Xizang's first hydropower project of the 1 million kilowatt level and the "strategic pivot" of the clean energy base in Xizang.

Maneuvering a 411 ton "steel and iron" structure into a high-altitude canyon was a formidable clash between technology and nature. The water distribution ring pipe, measuring 28 meters long, 25.2 meters wide, and 4 meters high, was divided into 13 segments for transport, according to a post on Xizang Fabu.

The first hoisted section, resembling a "giant bullet" with a 3.1-meter diameter and 95-millimeter wall thickness, weighed 32.1 tons. It was precisely positioned with millimeter-level accuracy by a 400-ton crane in the thin air and confined space of the machine pit, the post said. 

From a technological perspective, the Sinohydro Bureau 7 Co employed building information modeling for 3D modeling and 1:1 physical mock-ups on the plateau, simulating the process digitally before on-site execution. In collaboration with universities, the team developed an 800 megapascal high-strength steel welding process, enabling one-time hoisting with real-time adjustments.

On July 2, the world's first single-unit 500 MW impulse turbine, developed by Harbin Electric Machinery Co for the Datang Zala Hydropower Station, was delivered. The independently developed impulse turbine consists of 21 precision water ladles, with an outer diameter of 6.23 meters, a thickness of 1.34 meters, and a weight of about 80 tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
 
According to data from the National Energy Administration, China had constructed more than 94,000 dams by December 2024, the largest number globally, and the country's total installed hydropower capacity had reached 436 million kilowatts, including 377 million kilowatts of conventional hydropower, Xinhua reported in May. 

Annual hydropower generation comes in at 1.42 trillion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 57 percent of China's total renewable energy output, official figures show, per the Xinhua report. 


Global Times