On July 30, the first inclined shaft for the water diversion tunnel at Xulong Hydropower Station on the upper Jinsha River was successfully completed. This shaft, stretching 124.59 meters with an excavation diameter of 12.6 meters and a steep inclination of 60 degrees, represents the largest and steepest inclined diversion tunnel currently under construction in China.
Xulong Hydropower Station is the largest-capacity hydropower project under development on the upper Jinsha River, featuring a total installed capacity of 2,400 megawatts. Once operational, it is expected to generate approximately 10.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The construction of the inclined shaft employed a complex method involving pilot hole drilling, reverse shaft raising with a raise boring machine, and layered downward expansion—a process posing significant challenges and high risks.
During construction, GD Jinsha River Xulong Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. strictly enforced quality standards, optimized construction techniques and strengthened safety management to ensure smooth project progress. The breakthrough of this inclined shaft paves the way for the first generating unit to commence power production by 2029.
