On August 25, 2026, with the smooth warehousing of the last concrete, the dam of Datang Zhala Hydropower Station in Xizang, which was built with the participation of Powerchina, was successfully capped, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent impoundment and grid connected power generation of the project. The project is a world-class high head impact hydropower project and a key project for the development of clean energy in Xizang and the transmission of electricity from Tibet.

The strategic importance of engineering

Zala Hydropower Station is the first million kilowatt hydropower station approved to start construction in Xizang. It is subordinate to the integrated clean energy base of water and scenery in southeast Tibet in the national fifteenth five-year plan, and is the core backbone project of Tibetan power transmission. The project is equipped with the world's first 500 megawatt high head impulse type unit, and its comprehensive construction difficulty ranks among the top of similar hydropower projects in the world.

The power station is located at the junction of Zuogong County in Changdu City and Chayu County in Linzhi City. It is the sixth level power station of the Yuqu River cascade development, equipped with two 500 MW impulse type units. The core construction tasks of the dam, fishway, and water diversion and power generation buildings are undertaken by China Electric Power Construction Fourth Bureau.

High altitude assault and quality construction

The concrete gravity dam that was capped this time is the core hydraulic structure of the power station, with a dam crest elevation of 2820 meters, a total dam crest length of 217 meters, a total storage capacity of 9.14 million cubic meters, a total concrete pouring volume of 187500 cubic meters, and 2410.431 tons of steel reinforcement installed to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power station throughout the entire process.

Faced with challenges such as high-altitude hypoxia, large temperature differences between day and night, and short effective construction periods, the construction team optimized the construction plan, configured tower cranes and fabric dispensers to work together, ensured continuous high-strength pouring of concrete, refined the entire process of temperature control, pouring, and maintenance, efficiently completed various construction tasks, and achieved the goal of dam topping out nodes on schedule.

Green empowers ecological development

After the completion of the power station, the annual power generation can reach 3.946 billion kilowatt hours, saving 1.3 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3.42 million tons annually. Keywords: Zhala Hydropower Station, Dam Capping, Clean Energy

The project will effectively revitalize Xizang's clean energy resources, improve the regional green energy system, help regional ecological protection and sustainable development, and provide strong energy support for Tibet's power transmission and the implementation of the dual carbon goals.Editor/Huang jiali