HYDRO POWER CAVERNS | TECHNICAL


Largest hydro caverns according to height (m) TG 2 (Sanmenxia), China


Wudongde, China Xiangjiaba, China Suofengying, China Longtan, China Nuozhadu, China Baihetan, China Xiluodu, China Laxiwa, China


Lago Bianco, Switzerland Serra da Mesa, Mexico


Largest hydro caverns according to capacity (MW) Xiluodu, China (x2)


Wudongde, China (x2) Baihetan, China (x2) Xiangjiaba, China Nuozhadu, China Longtan, China


La Grande 2, Canada Churchill Falls, Canada Jinping 2, China


TG 2 (Sanmenxia), China (x2)


Largest PSP caverns according to volume (m3 Lago Bianco, Switzerland


Kazunogawa, Japan Shin Takase, Japan Kannagawa, Japan Tongbai, China


Lima/Tubatse, South Africa Qingyuan, China


Linth-Limmern, Switzerland


Largest hydro caverns according to length (m) La Grande 2, Canada


Xiluodu, China (x2) Nuozhadu, China


Baihetan, China (x2) Longtan, China


Dibang, India (planned) Jinping 2, China


Kemano 1, Canada


Subansiri, India (cancelled) Vianden, Luxembourg Mambilla, Nigeria


)


260,000 250,000 220,000 220,000 213,000 194,000 175,000 170,000


484 443 418 400 388 383 352 348 343 330 330


87 87 86 85 82 82 78 75 74 74 72


9 x 700 6 x 725 8 x 750 8 x 750 9 x 650 7 x 600 16 x 333 11 x 475 8 x 600 6 x 700


Largest hydro caverns according to volume (m3 Xiluodu, China (x2)


Baihetan, China (x2)


Three Gorges, China (x2) Longtan, China Nuozhadu, China Xiangjiaba, China Jinping 2, China


Wudongde, China (x2) Laxiwa, China Pengshui, China


Longpan, China (planned)


Largest caverns according to cross-section (m2 Xiangjiaba, China


Three Gorges 2, China Baihetan, China Wudongde, China Longtan, China Pengshui, China Xiluodu, China Pubugou, China Laxiwa, China


Serra da Mesa, Mexico`


Largest PSP caverns according to capacity (MW) Kannagawa, Japan


Kazunogawa, Japan Mingtan, Taiwan


Lima/Tubatse, South Africa Ingula, South Africa Qingyuan, China Shin Takase, Japan Tongbai, China


)


2,700 2,650 2,400 2,330 2,400 2,180 2,150 2,100 2,120 2,000


2,820 1,600 1,600 1,520 1,332 1,280 1,280 1,200


Largest design flows for conventional plant caverns (m3 Three Gorges 2, China


La Grande 2, Canada Nuozhadou, China Xiluodu 1, China Pengshui, China Ertan, China


Pubugou, China


Paolo Afonso 4, Brazil Hoa Binh, Vietnam


Cahora Bass 1, Mozambique


5,900 4,600 3,750 3,740 3,500 2,550 2,475 2,460 2,300 2,060


/sec)


)


770,000 700,000 660,000 660,000 580,000 530,000 500,000 480,000 470,000 460,000 490,000


1. LARGEST HYDROPOWER EXCAVATIONS To rank within the 10 largest caverns worldwide each plant needs to exceed the following: width >32m, height >74m, length >330m, section area >2000m2 excavation volume >460,000m3


, , total/unit capacity


>4200MW/>500MW. To rank in the largest pumped storage caverns the values to exceed are: 1200MW capacity, 160,000m3 of 2000m3


halls a volume of 110,000m3 excavation volume, and flow volume


/sec. To rank in the ten largest transformer needs to be exceeded


With regard to criteria such as cavern height, length,


excavated area and volume, and total installed capacity, seven of the 10 largest caverns have either been completed already or are currently under construction in China. The most prominent cavern plants with the largest


net water head are situated in France, Italy, Peru, and Switzerland; and plants with the longest tunnel lengths are most prominent in Iceland, France, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and India.


September 2023 | 15


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