The Maerdang Hydropower Plant is located upstream of the Yellow River with a total installed capacity of approximately 2.2 million kW.
Overview of the construction site of the Maerdang Hydropower Plant. (Photo: China Daily).
In an effort to increase renewable energy production, China is preparing to operate the highest hydropower plant in the country, built on the upstream branch of the Yellow River. According to the operating entity, China Energy Investment Corporation, the Maerdang Hydropower Plant is expected to commence operations in March 2024.
The Maerdang project includes a rock-fill dam with a concrete surface. Construction began in 2012. According to China Daily, the facility is being built at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, along the Yellow River in Qinghai Province. The plant has a total installed capacity of approximately 2.2 million kW, producing an average of over 7.3 billion kWh of electricity each year at full capacity. China Energy reports that this hydropower project will help reduce 2.56 million tons of coal and 8.16 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The Maerdang project will integrate clean energy sources, including hydropower, solar energy, and energy storage. This facility exemplifies how China is enhancing clean energy sources in its western regions to meet the growing electricity demand nationwide.
China Energy’s solar power plant in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is also nearing completion, with a total capacity of 3 million kW. According to Energy China, the first phase of the Ningxia plant will soon be operational with a capacity of 1 million kW. The second phase, with a capacity of 2 million kW, is set to be completed by the end of this year.
As one of the largest electricity-consuming countries in the world, transitioning to renewable energy sources is crucial for China and the world at large, according to Lin Boqiang, head of the China Energy Policy Research Institute at Xiamen University.
