Baishitou Kouzi Third and Fourth Cascade Hydropower Stations

Baishitou Kouzi Third and Fourth Cascade Hydropower plants are run-of-river hydro plants located in the upper part of the Ganlai river in Sunan County, Gansu Province.
FACTS
Location

Zhulong Guan village, Qi Feng Country, Sunan Yugur Autonomous Prefecture, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China

Technology

Hydro

Attributes

New plant (< 5 years)

Producing electricity since

2020

Developer/owner

Sunan Yugur Autonomous Prefecture Longyang Hydro Power Co., Ltd.

Estimated annual generation

132 000 MWh

Total capacity

21 MW and 6 MW

Baishitou Kouzi Third and Fourth Cascade Hydropower plants are run-of-river hydro plants located in the upper part of the Ganlai river in Sunan County, Gansu Province. In March 2020, all units of Baishitou Kouzi Third Cascade Hydro Power Station (capacity: 21 MW) and Baishitou Kouzi Fourth Cascade Hydro Power Station (capacity: 6 MW) in Sunan County successfully entered the trial operation stage. After undergoing several tests, the technical indicators were found to be aligned with national regulations. Electricity generation for the grid is expected to begin in May. They are expected to generate 132 000 MWh of electricity per year once in operation. These two plants are key to Sunan County’s five-year plan.

The local area

Suna county succeeds in optimizing industry development and improving the tourism infrastructure, all while placing heavy emphasis on its unique ecological features, natural resources and landscape, and rich culture. The main natural and touristic attractions include the Zhangye World Geopark, Qilian Mountain National Park, a provincial tourism resort, as well as unique cultural tourism resources such as alien Valley Star Theme Park and Shenlu Park. The area also provides ample opportunity for experiencing local customs and traditions, through folk villages, events and museums, for instance. 

The township of Qifeng has always placed ecology and sustainable development at the forefront, in order to promote socio-economic development while reducing and controlling pollution and the degradation of the environment.

The power plants are key to promoting sustainable development practices and awareness within the local region. They are essential for reducing the pollution of air, water and soil, as well as reducing carbon emissions. They are inspected on a regular basis, to ensure that any potential problems are found and rectified early.

Further sustainability and environmental protection endeavours in the region include controlling mountain flood ditches, balancing grass growth and livestock needs, protecting forests and grasslands. 6.46 million yuan have been earmarked to implement the Manshu Nanshan greening project, planting more than 20,000 seedlings of various kinds species, promoting the expansion of land greening.

Baishitou Kouzi power plants design: protecting the surroundings

The Baishitou Kouzi Third and Fourth Cascade hydropower plants have incorporated specific design elements in order to reduce their impact on their surroundings. This includes:

  1. The diversion outlet was lowered to reduce the disturbance to the river
  2. Build barrier-free ecological discharge measures, and set up observation points of ecological discharge in the Gaoyaquan River to ensure an ecological discharge of 20% (0. 56 m’/ s), so as to ensure the smooth flow of the Gaoyaquan River throughout the year
  3. From May to early June every year, the natural discharge measures are set to 20% flow to provide natural habitat for fish reproduction, and a protective guardrail is erected around fish spawning grounds
  4. Strengthen awareness around protection of the local environment
  5. The hydropower plants passed an environmental inspection pertaining to measures in place to prevent water loss and soil erosion

About the developer

Longyang Hydropower Co., Ltd. was established 10 years ago, with sustainable development as a priority. The company aims to create a system for circular industrial development, preventing pollution and protecting the environment.