Dam of Zala Hydropower Station, Home to World‑First 500 MW High‑Head Impulse Turbine, Reaches Full Height

On 25 August, the final concrete pour marked the full completion of the dam at Datang Zala Hydropower Station, which hosts the world’s first‑of‑its‑kind 500‑megawatt high‑head impulse hydro‑generating unit. This milestone creates solid preconditions for reservoir impoundment and subsequent grid‑connected power generation.

The completed concrete gravity dam forms the core hydraulic structure of Zala Hydropower Station. It stands at a maximum height of 70 metres with a crest length of 217 metres, and has consumed a total of 187 500 cubic metres of concrete. The dam delivers critical barrier functions to secure stable and safe operational performance across the whole facility.

Datang Zala Hydropower Station serves as a key backbone project for transmitting Tibet‑generated electricity to other parts of China. It acts as a demonstration facility for the world‑pioneering 500 MW high‑head impulse turbine research programme and ranks among the most technically demanding impulse‑scheme hydropower developments under construction globally. 

The installation also functions as a core power source sustaining the integrated hydro‑solar‑wind clean‑energy base in south‑eastern Tibet planned under the 15th Five‑Year Plan framework.

Once fully commissioned, the station will deliver roughly four billion kilowatt‑hours of high‑altitude clean electricity annually. Annual savings will amount to 1.3 million tonnes of standard coal, alongside carbon‑dioxide emission reductions of 3.42 million tonnes. Project output supports national carbon‑peaking and carbon‑neutrality objectives and underpins high‑quality socio‑economic progress across surrounding regions. Subsequent civil‑works and electromechanical installation phases will move forward to fulfil the station’s operational targets.