Mail Online
SADIE WHITELOCKS
February 21, 2017
- The Xiluodu Hydropower Station in China was built with 240 million cubic feet of concrete
- At 937 feet tall, it is one of tallest dams around – measuring almost six times the height of Niagara Falls
- It took eight years and £9 billion to construct the beast – today it powers millions of homes across the country
Despite viewing it from a distance, this footage demonstrates the magnificent force of one of the world’s most powerful dams.
The Xiluodu Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River in China – which was built with 240 million cubic feet (6.8 million cubic metres) of concrete – spews out a record 164 feet (50 metres) of water per second when it is in full flow.
Standing 937 feet (285.5 metres) tall, it is one of tallest dams around – measuring almost six times the height of Niagara Falls.
New video clips taken from the sky shows water violently cascading through the giant artificial barrier, with mist filling the surrounding steep-cut valley.
The Xiluodu Hydropower Station in China, which was built with 240 million cubic feet of concrete, spews out a record 164 feet of water per second when it is in full flow
Despite viewing it from a distance, this footage demonstrates the magnificent force of one of the world’s most powerful dams
The China dam is one of tallest around – measuring almost six times the height of Niagara Falls at 937 feet
Xiluodu, which opened in July 2013, is the world’s third-largest hydropower station. It took eight years and 79.2 billion yuan (£9 billion) to construct the beast.
Last year it received global recognition after the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) awarded the station as a FIDIC Outstanding Project of the Year.
Liao Jianxin, an engineering director with the project’s contractor, China Three Gorges Corporation, said the ‘intelligent management system’ of the dam won the judges over.
WHAT IS HYDROPOWER?
Hydropower is power derived from the energy of falling water or fast running water. It’s been used since ancient times in the form of windmills, but in the 19th century was first used to generate electricity.
A turbine converts the kinetic energy of the falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.
The first commercial hydroelectric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879 and the electricity used to power local streetlights.
The Three Gorges Dam in China is probably one of the most famous examples. The hydroelectric dam is the world’s largest power station by installed capacity.
New video shot from the sky shows water violently cascading through the giant artificial barrier with mist filling the surrounding river valley
Xiluodu, which opened in July 2013, is the world’s third-largest hydropower station – it took eight years and £5 billion to construct the beast
Mapped out: This image shows the location of the impressive Xiluodu Dam in China
