Three Gorges Underground Power Station formally enters generating unit installation stage

Updated: 2010-04-05

The stator base of No 32 generating unit, the first generating unit of the Three Gorges Underground Power Station, arrived at the construction site and started the assembly on April 1, 2010. This marks the formal start of the installation and commissioning of the six generating units for the power station.

The stator base for 32# generating unit was designed and manufactured by Harbin Electric Machinery Co, and consists of five segments, each weighing 37.2 tons. The stator base will be assembled and welded on the site, and the generating unit is scheduled for power generation in May, 2011.

These six generating units (No.27-No.32) are designed and manufactured by Harbin Electric Machinery Co, Dongfang Electric Machinery Co. and Tianjin Alstom, so they have different structures. China Gezhouba Group Co (CGGC), which undertakes the installation task, will have to meet a new technical challenge – the evaporation cooling technology, compared to the water cooling and air cooling technologies applied to the power stations on the left bank and the right bank of the Three Gorges Dam. It is the first time that the evaporation cooling technology has been applied to a large water turbine generating unit, so many technical details need to be further explored and researched during the installation and commissioning.

On May 26, 2009, CGGC was awarded the work to install and commission the electromechanical equipment of the Three Gorges Underground Power Station, including six 700,000KW water turbine generating units, the station public system and equipment and the power transmission and transformation equipment.

During the installation of the generating units of the Three Gorges Project, CGGC has endured various baptisms in eight years, and participated in and witnessed the local production of large-sized water turbine generating units. In the electromechanical equipment installation for the right bank power station of the Three Gorges Project, CGGC has installed eight 700,000KW generating units of two types with only 29 months, taken the lead in mastering the core technologies for the quick installation of locally produced giant generating units, and taken China’s hydropower set installation technology to the international leading level. Now, CGGC is responsible for installing and commissioning the six 700,000KW generating units and all the public system equipment of the Three Gorges Underground Power Station. At the same time, it has also contracted the installation and commissioning of nine 770,000KW generating units in the left bank plant of the Xiluodu Power Station, the second largest hydropower project in China.