Sanbanxi Hydropower Station is a large-scale hydropower station invested and constructed by Wuling Power Corporation Ltd. (Wuling Power), a subsidiary of the State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPIC). The construction of the station began in 2002. In 2006, it was completed and put into operation, with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW.

Based on extensive research, Wuling Power innovatively proposed a solution using a water retaining curtain wall to address the impact of relatively low-temperature water discharged from the high dam reservoir on fish reproduction in the downstream reaches. According to the solution, a flexible curtain wall will be built across the river on the upstream side of the reservoir’s water intake. The curtain wall will retain the low-temperature water at the reservoir bottom, while allowing the warmer water from the upper layers to pass through and reach the intake of the hydropower station. Through this process, the temperature of the discharged water will be raised. The construction of the Sanbanxi water retaining curtain wall project was commenced in 2020 and completed in 2022. The monitoring data showed that, with the curtain wall, the temperature of the discharged water has been 1 to 3 degrees Celsius higher than before.

The water retaining curtain wall solution has been proved effective in raising the temperature of the discharged water. Beyond that, it is easy to be operated and maintained, and can be carried out after the completion of a hydropower reservoir. The solution provides a fresh idea for hydropower stations in low-temperature water treatment.

A CGI rendering of the water retaining curtain wall project for low-temperature water treatment at Sanbanxi Hydropower Station

The real water retaining curtain wall project for low-temperature water treatment at Sanbanxi Hydropower Station

The construction site of the water retaining curtain wall project for low-temperature water treatment at Sanbanxi Hydropower Station

A diagram of water temperature field simulation results in front of the dam after the water retaining curtain wall project went operational at Sanbanxi Hydropower Station 

This project will be displayed at the side events in the "China Pavilion" during the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) which will be held in the United Arab Emirates.