An engineering marvel, Kela hydro-photovoltaic (PV) complementary power station, reputed to be the world's largest and highest-altitude mega project, has fired up its turbines and started generating electricity.

Nestled amidst the rugged peaks of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, in Yajiang County, southwest Sichuan Province, China, the mammoth project is an achievement of technical innovation and endurance. The power station, situated at altitudes between 4,000 metres and 4,600 metres, rises a staggering 1,000 metres higher than Lhasa, the bustling capital city of Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.

Spread across approximately 16,670,000 square metres of high-altitude wilderness, the Kela power station boasts an installed capacity of one million kilowatts, which is anticipated to generate an average of two billion kWh annually.

Responsibility for the project, from surveying and design to procurement, construction, and commissioning, was taken on by PowerChina Chengdu Engineering. This company has borne the burden of one-third of the project including grid connection and power generation.

The monumental planning for the Kela project began back in 2016, and actual construction kicked off in July last year. The project was not without its challenges – low oxygen levels due to the extreme altitude, which were up to 50% lower than on the plains, and frequent bouts of extreme weather, including strong winds, heavy snowfall, and freezing temperatures, all exacerbated the already tight construction deadlines.

With a proven track record in high-altitude projects, including the world’s highest wind farm, the construction team overcame these obstacles and pushed through to completion.

The Kela power station is a novel blend of solar and hydropower, addressing the instability, fluctuation, and intermittency that often plague PV power generation, which can have a significant impact on the safety of the power grid.

The project will be linked to the Lianghekou hydroelectric power station, another PowerChina Chengdu design, with the generated electricity being integrated into the power grid.

Expected to save over 600,000 tons of standard coal per annum and cut carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.6 million tons, the project is also set to stimulate the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, and transportation in the surrounding ethnic minority regions, according to Global Times.

STORY: Exploring world's largest solar-hydro power station with FPV drone
DATELINE: June 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:39
LOCATION: CHENGDU, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of drone footage of Kela photovoltaic power station in China's Sichuan

STORYLINE:

Flying through Kela photovoltaic power station, the world's largest and highest-altitude hydro-PV complementary power station, in China's Sichuan with FPV drone.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chengdu, China.
(XHTV)