A giant hydropower station that started generating electricity in June is expected to help ease regional power shortages and contribute to sustainable economic growth in China.

Located on an upper stretch of the Yangtze River in the border area of Ningnan county, Sichuan province, and Qiaojia county, Yunnan province, the Baihetan Hydropower Station is now the world's largest power plant under construction.

The station includes 16 domestically developed generating units, each with a capacity to sustain 1 million kilowatt hours. It has the world's largest installed capacity for a single generating unit and is the world's second-largest in terms of overall capacity, according to its operator, China Three Gorges Corp.

The first generating unit of the project started up on June 28, and it's estimated that all 16 units will be operating by July, sources said. Daily output will be able to meet the domestic power consumption needs of 500,000 people a year once all the 16 generating units are up and running.

The power station can generate an annual average of more than 62.44 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, saving 19.68 million metric tons of coal per year.

As a major power source for China's west-to-east power transmission project, it is expected to make a substantial contribution to China's efforts to meet its goal of peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

In addition to generating electricity, the station helps with flood control, sediment detention and shipping, playing a big part in promoting local economic and social development.

The reservoir capacity behind the power station is 20.63 billion cubic meters, equivalent to Dongting Lake in Hunan province.

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