Rotork has announced it has provided electric actuators to the Baihetan Dam project in China.
The 16GW Baihetan Dam hydropower plant is the second part of a cascade of dams on the Jinsha River and is connected to Wudongde Hydropower Station on the upper side and Xiluodu Hydropower Station on the lower side. China Three Gorges Corporation started construction of the project back in 2014 and the first batch of units began operation in June 2021. All units will are expected to be placed into operation in June 2022.
Over 100 actuators from Rotork’s IQ3 range have been installed to operate ball valves on the Baihetan site. They drive the water supply systems within the power station, as well as drainage systems, air compression systems and other auxiliary systems. Electric actuation was chosen partly due to easy access to existing power cabling, providing a low-cost energy source for the actuators. Additionally, installation space was limited and there was no ability to have a central compressor on site, so electric actuation was the logical choice.
