China Energy Commissions First Three Units at Shuangjiangkou Dam

China Energy Investment Corporation has commissioned the first three generating units of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station on the Dadu River in southwestern China, according to a report carried by Xinhua and People's Daily. Featuring a 315-meter dam structure—described as the world's tallest dam—the station will ultimately host four 500,000-kilowatt Francis turbine-generator units with a total capacity of two million kilowatts. The rapid rollout of the initial units within two months of the first unit's June start is intended to supply peak summer electricity to the Chengdu-Chongqing economic corridor.

As the regulating "cascade head" reservoir on the upper Dadu River, Shuangjiangkou plays a critical role beyond its own direct generation. By regulating river flow, it is projected to add roughly 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of annual generation to downstream cascade hydropower stations, demonstrating how upstream megaprojects enhance systemic grid reliability across southwestern China.

China Energy Investment Corporation has brought the first three generating units into commercial operation at the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station on the upper Dadu River, official state media reported on August 31, 2026. According to reporting by Xinhua published on People's Daily Online, the project features a 315-meter-high dam, recognized as the world's tallest. Designed with an aggregate capacity of two million kilowatts (2,000 megawatts), the facility will house four Francis turbine-generator units, each rated at 500,000 kilowatts. Once fully completed, the station is projected to produce approximately 7.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The project serves as a key regulatory and cascading "head" reservoir on the upper reaches of the Dadu River basin. In addition to direct power generation, the dam provides multi-purpose water resources management, sediment retention, and flood control functions. Official projections indicate that Shuangjiangkou's reservoir regulation will enable downstream cascade hydropower stations along the Dadu River to generate an additional 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually through coordinated discharge. The rapid commissioning comes amid elevated seasonal demand across southwestern China. Following the entry into service of the station's first turbine in June 2026, project operators accelerated the delivery of units two and three to meet peak electricity consumption during hot summer weather in Sichuan province and the neighboring Chengdu-Chongqing economic rim. Completing the three-unit phase within a two-month span was aimed directly at reinforcing power supply reserves in the regional grid, state media noted. Preparations for installing and commissioning the fourth and final 500,000-kilowatt generating unit remain underway to bring the hydropower complex to its full planned 2,000-megawatt operating capacity.