The construction of the Yebatan Hydropower Station, an important project for optimizing China's energy structure, is in full swing as the first generator stator was successfully installed on Wednesday.
The Yebatan Hydropower Station is located at the junction of Baiyu County in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Konjo County in neighboring Xizang Autonomous Region. With a total installed capacity of 2,240 MW, it will be the largest hydropower station on the upper reaches of the Jinsha River upon completion of its construction.
The 15.6-meter diameter stator, a core component of the hydropower generator, was lowered into the designated area on Wednesday, paving the way for the assembly of the first generating unit.
After completing following installation work such as bolt tightening, testing, and calibration, installation of the rotor and other turbine components will be commenced.
The project consists of a dam structure, a flood discharge structure and a water diversion and power generation system. It is expected to start operation of its first batch of generating units by the end of 2025.
"The Yebatan Hydropower Station, with the approval of its construction in 2016, presents unique challenges due to its high altitude, cold climate, ultra-high arch damming, high ground stress and large burial depth, and features large-span underground workshops. We've applied many advanced technologies and developed a smart management platform to ensure its construction quality. We aim to commission the first generating units by the end of next year," Liu Qiang, executive director of the Yebatan branch of China Huadian Corporation said on Tuesday.
The dam has been built to a height of 171 meters so far and will ultimately stand at 217 meters. It is China's highest-altitude double-curved arch dam hydropower station under construction.
Once operational, the Yebatan Hydropower Station is expected to generate an average of 10.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, saving 3.99 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 7.37 million tons.
The clean energy generated will be transmitted to central China via the world's first large-capacity hydropower-photovoltaic hybrid DC transmission line -- the Jinshang-Hubei ±800 kV UHV DC transmission project.
China's mega hydropower station completes installation of first generator stator
China is accelerating development of 6G mobile technology, with experts projecting commercial rollout by 2030 and highlighting its AI-native design as a break from 5G.
The projection was made at the Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference, which closed Sunday in Beijing under the theme "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation." It featured 60 sessions on topics from global sci-tech governance to basic research, drawing experts, scholars and policymakers worldwide.
ID: 8472083 More than 560 scientific and technological achievements were also showcased at the forum's exhibition center, from robots capable of fine motor tasks to frontier brain-computer interface solutions, alongside advances in intelligent manufacturing, commercial aerospace and regional cooperation.
Amid the forum's showcase of breakthroughs, experts turned to the future of mobile communications, describing how 6G will be fundamentally different from 5G.
"If I had to describe 6G with some keywords, the first would be AI-native. The 6G network is no longer just a communication network. It deeply integrates AI capabilities. Every network unit - base stations, terminals, core networks - will have built-in AI computing power. That means AI agents won’t just live in distant data centers. They’ll be right beside you - in your phone, on the base station you’re connected to, even on routing nodes," said Zhou Xu, director of Advanced Network Tech and Application Development Department at the Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
6G is being designed as a fully integrated space-air-ground-sea network, a shift from 5G's terrestrial focus. Satellites are expected to carry base stations, extending coverage to users in cities or at sea.
"China has already completed its first phase of 6G technology trials. Over 300 technologies validated in labs and test networks. The next step, from 2026 to 2028, is to integrate these individual technologies into real devices. The first set of 6G standards is expected around 2029, with trial commercial deployment around 2030. By 2035, we could see 6G smartphones in everyday use - along with applications that aren’t possible on 5G," said Zhou.
However, challenges still remain due to fierce competition over global standards, immature supply chains for core components, and the far higher costs of building a 6G network compared with 5G. Despite these hurdles, China is pursuing innovation and collaboration with what officials describe as a more open and inclusive approach.
"The (6G) network needs to be AI native because AI shouldn’t be dominated by only the big powers. By building an open ecosystem, you actually let different players - from application layer, device layer, and robot layer - have a platform that people can build up capability," said Prof. Tony Quek, a fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore.
If realized, 6G’s AI-native design and space-based infrastructure could redefine global connectivity and reshape how people live and work.
Since its founding in 2007, the ZGC Forum has become a major international event for advancing science and technology innovation.
China eyes early commercialization of 6G by 2030: experts
