China’s Maerdang Hydropower Station to complete final testing, set for full operation

(Global Times) 16:05, December 30, 2024

The second unit of the Maerdang Hydropower Station, the highest-altitude and largest-capacity hydropower project under construction in the Yellow River basin, with five-turbine generators, including four 550,000-kilowatt units and one 120,000-kilowatt unit, is reported to be put into operation to generate electricity.

The Maerdang Hydropower Station, located in Maqen County, Northwest China’s Qinghai Province at an average altitude of 3,300 meters, has a total installed capacity of 2.32 million kilowatts. To harness the power of the fast-flowing water, the Maerdang Hydroelectric Station was built in a steep canyon. Located in a nature reserve, the construction of the hydropower station aimed to minimize its impact on local wildlife. The reservoir created by the dam acts as an “ecological stabilizer,” increasing humidity and precipitation in the area, and forming new wetlands. This initiative stabilizes the regional ecosystem, improving habitats for aquatic species, amphibians, and wading birds within the Sanjiangyuan conservation area, according to CMG. Innovative “fish lifts” have been installed at the base of the dam to help fish migrate. The lifts carry the fish upstream, where they are guided through chutes to a sorting room. Rare species are then transported by special trucks to upstream conservation areas for release, continuing their ancient migratory journey along the Yellow River. In addition, a fish breeding and release station has been established to help replenish rare fish populations and maintain the ecological balance of the Yellow River basin, CMG reported.