The image shows an aerial view of China’s Kela PV solar-hydro power station. (Image Credit: sasac.gov.cn)
Countries across the globe are working toward environmental goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. And China recently finished its Kela PV power station that generates solar and hydroelectric power together at a high altitude. The Design and Research Institute of PowerChina Chengdu designed the project in 2016 and began construction in July 2022. The station was built in the Yalong River Basin of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in southwest China's Sichuan province.
PowerChina Chengdu’s role is to design, survey, construct, procure, commission, provide grid connection, and carry out power production for one-third of the project. On June 25th, the hybrid hydro-solar power plant started fully operating and is the largest one in the world. This project is also part of China’s first phase of the Yalong River’s Lianghekon Hydropower Station, which started operating in March.
What sets this apart from the other power stations is it has a one million kW capacity for a hydro-solar power grid. Also, it takes Kela one hour to charge 15,000 EVs that have a 550km range. More impressively, it can generate 2 billion kWh of electricity per year, sufficient for powering 700,000 homes annually. According to the PowerChina Chengdu project manager Yang Zhiwei, this amount is equal to 600,000 tonnes of coal and can reduce CO2 emissions by over 1.6 million tonnes.
Of course, that depends on the weather conditions, which means power generation could fluctuate. Even then, the hydropower aspect regulates the power generation instability. Both solar power and hydropower help with the supply balance. This ensures that high-quality and clean energy generation remains stable throughout the year regardless of weather conditions.
Chief design engineer Wi Di says the solar-hydro power combo makes the project more stable since fluctuation, intermittency, and instability of PV power production affect the power grid. Overall, the power station has 527,000 PV foundation piles. The project can also help develop industries, such as animal husbandry, tourism, agriculture, and transportation in the neighboring ethnic minority region.
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