China-developed automated dam safety monitoring system guards safety of Baihetan Hydropower Station

Date: 2024-09-06

Since the start of the 2024 flood season, a China-developed automated dam safety monitoring system has been put into place at the Baihetan Hydropower Station on the lower reaches of the Jinsha River, serving as a "smart guardian" that ensures the hydropower station's stable operation under high water levels.

With just a click, the system completes inspections and anomaly analysis for over 13,000 monitoring instruments across the hydropower station within 5 minutes. The system detects anomalies and triggers alerts for human intervention if needed.

Since 2024, the Baihetan Hydropower Station has managed several surges from the Jinsha River, with the reservoir's water level reaching 810.9 meters in August—nearly 40 meters higher than the pre-flood level of 771.2 meters. Meanwhile, the station has maintained a safe and stable operation.

The Baihetan Hydropower Station is located on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River, which spans China's southwestern provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan.

The hydropower station has a total installed capacity of 16 GW and is equipped with 16 hydro-generating units, each with a capacity of 1 GW, the world’s largest single-unit capacity.

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By China Three Gorges Corporation

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