China's massive hydropower station put into operation

KUNMING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- All 12 units of China's Wudongde hydropower station, the world's seventh-largest, went into operation Wednesday, local authorities said.

With a total installed capacity of 10.2 million kilowatts, the Wudongde hydropower station is a key project in China's west-east power transmission program. It sits on the Jinsha River near the provincial border of Yunnan and Sichuan.

The station's construction began in late 2015, and it started to generate electricity in late June last year.

By Tuesday, the station had produced 24.5 billion kWh of electricity, equal to that generated by around 7.68 million tonnes of standard coal, Wang Jintao, head of the Wudongde electricity plant under China Three Gorges Corporation, said.

The project will contribute to China's target to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, said Yang Zongli, director of the project construction department with China Three Gorges Corporation.

It is also expected to promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and coordinated regional development, Yang noted.

At full capacity, the hydropower station can generate around 38.9 billion kWh of electricity annually.