World's Largest Hydro-Solar Plant Generates Power on Tibetan Plateau

China Breaks Ground With 1 Million Kilowatt Hydro-Solar Hybrid Plant - June 30, 2023

The Kola Phase I photovoltaic power station, located in Yajiang County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, has been connected to the grid, marking the official commissioning of the world's first million-kilowatt "hydro-photovoltaic complementary" station. The project is an essential step in addressing the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the power grid.

With an installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts and covering an area of 25,000 acres, the Kola Phase I power station is the largest and highest-altitude "hydro-photovoltaic complementary" project in the world. The power station is connected to the 3-million-kilowatt Lianghekou Hydropower Station via a 500 kV transmission line, realizing the "bundling" of photovoltaic and hydropower generation to create a stable, high-quality energy source.

In details, solar power stations only generate electricity during the day and their output fluctuates with sunlight. To even out these fluctuations, solar-hydro com…