The Datungxia Water Conservancy Hub in Guangxi recently passed the completion acceptance and has fully entered normal operation. With a total investment of 35.736 billion yuan and a total construction period of 9 years, this important node project of the national water network has finally delivered a complete answer sheet. It is not just a dam, but a comprehensive system that integrates flood control, shipping, power generation, water replenishment and desalination, and irrigation, which has profound strategic significance for serving the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area countries.

Precise locking of a hair strand

The herringbone gate at the bottom of the ship lock is the most iconic feature of the entire project. The single door is 47.5 meters high, 20.2 meters wide, and weighs 1295 tons. It is made up of 12 welded sections and has an area equivalent to 2.5 basketball courts. The installation requires the precision error of the gate leaf axis to be controlled within 0.05 millimeters, which is approximately equal to the diameter of a hair.

China Energy Engineering Gezhouba First Company and Electromechanical Company officially started construction of the ship lock and auxiliary dam project in 2015. Faced with this behemoth, the team adopted three-layer back pull rod technology for the first time in China on a single-stage herringbone gate, ultimately locking the closing accuracy within 0.05 millimeters. Behind this number are countless technical simulations and on-site polishing.

The Security Behind Numbers

Since its operation, Datungxia has withstood a total of 9 Xijiang numbered floods, generating nearly 29 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and carrying nearly 500 million tons of Qianjiang through the dam. All units of the power plant on the left bank will be put into operation in November 2023, while the power plant on the right bank has been put into operation before. Both sides will release the golden benefits of the the Pearl River waterway.

As the largest water ecological protection system in China's water conservancy projects, Datungxia also undertakes emergency water replenishment and salt control tasks in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. In the dry season of 2024, the project will continue to replenish water downstream, effectively ensuring the safety of water supply in the Pearl River Delta region. At the same time, nearly 30 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricity are also providing tangible support for the country's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Keywords: water conservancy projects, national water network engineering

From construction to operation, Da Tengxia has proven one thing in nine years: the value of super engineering ultimately lies in the composure in the face of every flood and the stability behind every kilowatt hour of electricity.Editor/Cheng Liting