First phase of China’s solar-hydropower hybrid enters full operation

• 10 months ago (2023-06-27)
• David Flin

Asia 849 Hydropower 111 Solar 245

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The first phase of the world’s largest hydro-solar power plant, which is also the world’s highest power station of its kind, entered full operation in Sichuan Province in southwest China on June 25.

Upon full completion, the Kela PV project will have a total installed capacity of 1 GW, and will be part of the Lianghekou Hydropower Station, which will have a capacity of 3 GW when fully complete. Phase 1 of the Lianghekou plant started operations in March 2023. The complex is located in the Yalong river basin of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in Sichuan province. It lies at an altitude ranging between 4000m and 4600m.

Wu Di, Chief Design Engineer of the project, said that combining solar and hydropower was considered an effective way of making the project more stable, as instability, fluctuation, and intermittency of PV power generation had an impact on the power grid.