World's largest clean energy corridor generates more electricity in 2023

A view of the Baihetan hydropower plant in November 2022, which will serve as a major power source for China's west-to-east power transmission. [YAN KEREN/FOR CHINA DAILY]

BEIJING -- The world's largest clean energy corridor, consisting of six mega hydropower stations on China's Yangtze River, generated more electricity in 2023, according to the operator of these stations.

The corridor produced over 276 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, up 5.34 percent year on year, data from China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd. (CYPC) showed.

This was equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by around 83 million tonnes and lowering carbon dioxide emissions by more than 200 million tonnes.

The corridor was completed in December 2022, with the Baihetan hydropower station in the upper section of the Yangtze River in Southwest China fully operational. The other five stations along the corridor are Wudongde, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Three Gorges and Gezhouba.

The six hydropower plants transmit electricity from the resource-rich west to energy-consuming regions in the east. Their total installed capacity is around 71.7 million kilowatts, according to CYPC.