China has unveiled the world’s first-ever 500-megawatt impulse turbines, marking a major leap in global hydropower technology.
Built by Harbin Electric over four years, these colossal turbines will power the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in eastern Tibet, a high-head facility designed to tap into the 671-meter vertical drop of the Yuqu River, News.Az reports, citing New Atlas.
Each turbine, weighing 80 tons and spanning 6.2 meters in diameter, is made from ultra-strong martensitic steel and houses 21 water ladles. The system is expected to raise energy efficiency from 91% to 92.6%, generating an additional 190,000 kWh daily. Once operational, the plant will produce nearly 4 billion kWh annually, replacing the carbon output of 1.3 million tons of coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by 3.4 million tons.
The 1,000-MW facility, led by China Datang Corporation, is scheduled to go online by 2028. The plant will feature Pelton wheel impulse turbines, which operate in air and are ideal for high-pressure water jets, a contrast to the submerged Francis turbines used in projects like the Three Gorges Dam.
With China now holding nearly 436 GW of installed hydropower capacity, this milestone adds to the country's dominant role in global hydro development. However, like other transboundary water projects, the Datang Zala site, situated on the Nu River, which flows into Myanmar, raises environmental and geopolitical concerns about shared water resources in Southeast Asia.
The announcement comes amid China’s broader push for carbon neutrality by 2060, with high-tech, mega-scale renewables at the center of its long-term strategy.
