Increasing China's share in hydropowerThe project activity involves the construction and operation of a hydroelectric power plant at the main stream of the Youshui River in Southwest China. The main objective of the project is to increase the share of electricity from renewable sources in the Central China Grid where coal-fired power generation is still the dominant supply. By avoiding emissions which would have been caused by fossil fuel-based electricity plants the project contributes to climate change mitigation.
The power plant is located near the township of Youchou in the Youyang county in the municipality of Chongqing. The dam of a maximum height of 62.2 meters includes flood gates and sand sluices. The powerhouse is integrated in the dam with the turbines installed at the base of the dam in the river bed, providing a total capacity of 120 MW. The average full load operating hours are 3,267 hours annually, and the average annual power supply to the grid is 390,000 MWh. The hydropower plant also helps avoid air pollution which would be caused by fossil fuel based plants and thus improves local health condictions.
How hydropower contributes to climate actionHydropower plants use the energy of water to generate electricity. The energy is harnessed by passing water through a turbine. Under the pressure of the water, the turbine turns and transfers this energy to a generator, which converts kinetic energy into electricity. This principle applies to all types of hydroelectric power plants: from small run-of-river power plants to pumped-storage power plants on bodies of water like lakes. In many parts of the world, electricity is still primarily generated from fossil fuels. Clean hydropower can replace some of this emission-intensive energy and thus verifiably save carbon emissions. In most hydropower projects, the electricity is fed into a regional power grid, diversifying the energy supply and improving energy security in areas affected by power shortages and blackouts. Often, these projects also create jobs for the local population. Hydropower projects thus make an important contribution to clean energy supply as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hydopower projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
