The Laxiwa Dam (simplified Chinese: 拉西瓦大坝; traditional Chinese: 拉西瓦大壩; pinyin: Lāxīwǎ Dàbà) is an arch dam on the Yellow River in Qinghai Province, northwest China. It is 32 km (20 mi) downstream of the Longyangxia Dam and 73 km (45 mi) upstream from the Lijiaxia Dam. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports the largest station in the Yellow River basin. The facility generates power by utilizing six turbines, each with a generating capacity of 700 MW, totaling to a capacity of 4,200 MW.

Laxiwa Dam
Laxiwa Dam is located in China
Laxiwa Dam
Location of Laxiwa Dam in China
Official name拉西瓦大坝
LocationGuide County, Qinghai, China
Coordinates36°04′18″N 101°11′14″E / 36.07167°N 101.18722°E / 36.07167; 101.18722
Opening date2009
Operator(s)Upper Yellow River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd
Dam and spillways
Type of damArch dam
ImpoundsYellow River
Height250 m (820 ft)
Length460 m (1,510 ft)
Dam volume3,681,800 m3 (130,020,000 cu ft)
Reservoir
CreatesLaxiwa Reservoir
Total capacity1,079,000,000 m3 (875,000 acre⋅ft)
Power Station
Commission dateMay 18, 2009 (first two units)
Turbines6 × 700MW
Installed capacity4,200 MW
Annual generation10.223 GWh (mean)

Construction

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By the beginning of 2004, the Yellow River was diverted and in September of that year, excavation on the dam's abutment began. In April 2006, the first concrete was cast and on May 18, 2009, the power plant's first two generators were commissioned. A total of 79,571,000 m3 (2.8100×109 cu ft) of earth and rock were excavated from the dam site.[1][2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Laxiwa" (PDF). Chinese National Committee on Large Dams. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
  2. ^ "China commissions 4,200-MW Laxiwa hydropower station". Hydroworld. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2011.