Longtan hydropower project,
China's third
largest hydro-electric plant, has seen the successful trial
operation of its first generating unit recently, sources said on
Sunday.
Located in southwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the
Longtan project serves as a key component of the government's "go
west" campaign to develop the western regions and to bring
electricity to the economically developed, but energy-demanding
eastern and coastal areas.
"We are preparing for the operation of the other two generators,
which is also slated for this year," said Dai Bo, general manager
of the Longtan Hydropower Development Co. of China Datang
Corporation (CDT).
A total of 30 billion yuan in investment from CDT was used to
build Longtan's 216.5-meter-high dam, a ship lock and an
underground generating house with nine turbo-generators with a
combined installed generating capacity of 6.3 million kw.
Construction on the Longtan project began in July 2001 and the
project is scheduled to be completed in 2009. It is designed to
generate 18.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.
(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2007)
