Since July 2023, persistent high temperature has hit many places in China, and therefore, the electricity demand has continued to rise. CYPC effectively assumes the responsibility of power supply in the upcoming power consumption peak. CYPC operates and manages six cascade hydropower plants, namely Wudongde, Baihetan, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Three Gorges and Gezhouba, on the mainstream of the Yangtze River. These six plants broke the record in terms of peak shaving capacity for two consecutive days on the 11th and 12th of July, with a maximum peak shaving capacity of over 32 GW. As a result, ceaseless green power has rushed to the grid, effectively alleviating the eastern and central China from power shortage.

Facing the severe tests of high temperature and high load, CYPC strengthens meteorological and hydrological forecast and prediction, intensifies efforts in power dispatching and consultation, dynamically tracks power demands in power distribution areas, and optimizes dispatching schemes. Moreover, it strengthens patrol inspection, online monitoring, and diagnosis & analysis of the equipment, intensifies potential risk identification, and enhances risk prevention and control to ensure the power generation ability of the units during critical periods.

Since July, up to 97 units of the six cascade hydropower plants have been operated under the peak, with a maximum daily power generation exceeding 900 GWh. On July 11, the peak shaving capacity was over 28 GW, and that on the next day was over 32 GW, equivalent to that of twenty-six 1.2 GW pumped storage power stations. Such results have broken the record of 26.175 GW peak shaving capacity in 2022 for two consecutive days, thus fully leveraging the backbone role of the cascade hydropower plants in the West-East Power Transmission Project, and displaying their huge peak shaving abilities and their prominent roles as green engines.

In the summer power consumption peak period, the cascade hydropower plants have increased their output for several times. On July 11, eight generating units of Xiangjiaba HPP were in full operation, and sixteen generating units of Baihetan HPP were in full-open operation for the first time. On July 12, all generating units of Xiluodu HPP, Gezhouba HPP and Baihetan HPP were in full-open operation.

CYPC will continue to strengthen the forecast and prediction of water and rainfall regimes in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and of temperature in power distribution areas. Moreover, it will optimize the control of water levels in power stations, carefully prepare dispatching schemes, and strengthen the O&M management of equipment, to ensure full and efficient operation of cascade hydropower plants, and provide ceaseless green power for the grids and power distribution areas.