Three‑Unit Phase‑One Commissioning Completed at Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, World’s Highest Dam

Xinhua News Agency reports that on 31 August, the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station operated by China Energy Investment Corporation on the Dadu River achieved full commissioning for its three phase‑one generating units, adding fresh capacity to regional energy security.

Boasting a dam height of 315 metres, the facility ranks as the world’s tallest dam. It holds an overall installed capacity of 2 000 megawatts, equipped with four 500‑megawatt Francis hydro‑turbine generator sets. Average annual power output stands at roughly 7.7 billion kWh, while total reservoir storage reaches 2.9 billion cubic metres. As a key control and leading‑source reservoir on the upper Dadu River, the installation integrates flood defence, power generation and water‑resource regulation. It raises comprehensive water‑use efficiency across the whole Dadu River basin and delivers an extra 6.6 billion kWh annually for cascading hydropower plants downstream.

The first unit entered service back in June. Project teams accelerated subsequent unit commissioning schedules amid surging summer power demand driven by high temperatures within the Chengdu‑Chongqing economic zone. Successive unit hand‑overs were completed within two months, with 500 million kWh of clean hydro‑electricity fed into local grids. This output strengthened summer‑time power supply resilience for Sichuan province and the wider Chengdu‑Chongqing economic zone.

Engineering crews carry out systematic commissioning work for the remaining single generating unit. Grid‑connection testing and equipment fine‑tuning proceed to bring the station to its full designed generating capacity. The project will keep delivering flexible low‑carbon power to support regional electricity systems and optimise basin‑wide water‑resource allocation.