Clean Coal Expansion Unit Fully Commissioned at Dabieshan Power Plant in Hubei

The No.5 generating unit of the 2×1,000 MW clean coal expansion project at Dabieshan Power Plant has been officially put into operation after successfully completing a 168-hour full-load trial run on August 17. Constructed by China Energy Engineering Corporation, the facility marks a new milestone for high-efficiency low-carbon power supply in central China.

Located in Zhongguanyi Town, Macheng City, Huanggang City of Hubei Province, the project is a key initiative under China’s national 14th Five-Year Plan for modern energy systems. It features two 1,000 MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired units, equipped with flue gas desulphurisation and denitrification facilities to ensure full-process emission control.

The project has achieved three core technical breakthroughs without altering existing material systems, including moderate upgrade of main steam parameters, wide-range full-condition efficient flexible regulation, and three-level cascade recovery of flue gas waste heat. It has established four systematic operational systems covering intelligent digital operation and maintenance, near-zero energy green buildings, fully enclosed green coal conveying corridors, and integrated service centres. Dozens of advanced technologies, including full-load denitrification, deep peak regulation and zero liquid discharge, are fully integrated to balance thermal efficiency improvement and low-carbon transformation, building a benchmark model for new-generation clean and efficient coal-fired power units.

During the construction phase, intelligent construction technologies were widely deployed to optimise project progress and quality. Self-developed safety monitoring systems for confined space operations and smart construction site platforms overturned the conventional construction sequence. The project adopted parallel construction of dual units and synchronous advancement of main and auxiliary buildings, achieving balanced and efficient construction across the entire plant area.

The whole plant completed foundation works to ground level within 80 days. Major infrastructure and core equipment, including two main factory buildings, two cooling towers, two main transformers and two generator stators, were installed simultaneously. The first unit was completed and commissioned in merely 21.5 months from commencement of construction, setting a new construction speed benchmark for similar large-scale power generation units nationwide.

Upon full completion of the expansion project, the annual power generation capacity will reach 9.2 billion kilowatt-hours. The stable clean power output will continuously support industrial upgrading in eastern Hubei and consolidate reliable energy supply for high-quality economic development across the province.

Subsequent operational optimisation and technical iteration will proceed to further enhance unit efficiency and environmental performance. The project will continue to deliver stable power output to underpin regional industrial development and energy structure optimisation in central China.