KUNMING — A new power-generating unit in Baihetan hydropower station in Southwest China passed a 72-hour trial operation on May 30 and started formal operation, according to the hydropower station.

The operation of the No 5 unit marks the eighth power-generating unit that has gone operational, out of a total of 16 units constructed in the mega project. The station has a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts.

The Baihetan hydropower station is located on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River. It transmits electricity from the resource-rich west to energy-hungry regions in East China, marking a major step in the country's utilization of clean energy.

Since last June when the first power-generating units were put into operation, the hydropower station has produced over 26.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, according to Wang Zhilin, who heads the Baihetan project construction at China Three Gorges Corporation.

Once fully operational, the hydropower station will generate an average of more than 62.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year, sufficient for the annual electricity consumption of approximately 75 million people.