On December 31, 2024, the China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy) announced that all units of the Maerdang Hydropower Station in Qinghai Province were successfully connected to the grid.
PEOPLE.CN
On December 31, 2024, the China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy) announced that all units of the Maerdang Hydropower Station in Qinghai Province were successfully connected to the grid. As the highest-altitude hydropower station in the Yellow River Basin, Maerdang is also the centerpiece of Qinghai's first 10-gigawatt-class clean energy base, integrating hydropower, wind power, and solar power.
Situated at an average altitude of 3,300 meters, the Maerdang Hydropower Station is equipped with four 550-megawatt turbines and one 120-megawatt turbine, bringing its total installed capacity to 2.32 gigawatts. It holds the distinction of being the highest hydropower station in the Yellow River Basin and serves as a critical power source for China's "West-to-East Power Transmission" and "Qinghai-to-Henan Power Delivery" initiatives. According to Chen Yulin, General Manager of the Maerdang Hydropower Station under China Energy's Qinghai branch, the station capitalizes on abundant local renewable energy resources to establish a fully integrated clean energy base combining hydropower, wind, and solar energy. This project represents a significant step forward for Qinghai Province's clean energy development and aligns with China's national strategy for green and low-carbon development.
The Maerdang Hydropower Station is a trailblazer in adopting advanced technologies in China's hydropower sector. For the first time domestically, it employs innovative long-duration phase modulation and dynamic control technologies for large-scale hydropower units. These advancements allow the station to flexibly adjust its operational mode based on grid demand. It can provide full-capacity power output during electricity generation and seamlessly switch to phase modulation mode when needed, delivering stable reactive power support to the grid.
Moreover, the Maerdang Hydropower Station is the first in China's hydropower industry to integrate artificial intelligence and industrial big data analytics. These cutting-edge technologies enable automated fault diagnosis and early warning systems for equipment and operational processes, ensuring safer, more efficient, and more flexible power generation.This milestone highlights the potential of harnessing clean energy in high-altitude regions and represents a major contribution to China's renewable energy transition and sustainability goals.