The first concrete has been poured for the fishway forming part of the second phase of the Wujiang Baima Hydropower Project in Chongqing, China, marking the start of main concrete construction.
The pour was completed on 24 August and will be followed by further construction of the dam and powerhouse, according to the Eighth Hydropower Bureau.
Located in Wulong District, the project is the final cascade in the planned development of the Wujiang River. Its primary purpose is navigation, with power generation as a secondary function, while it will also provide counter-regulation for the operation of the Yinpan Hydropower Station.
The second phase covers civil works and the installation of metal structures and electromechanical equipment. Work includes the dam and powerhouse, excavation and support of the left bank slope, roads and temporary facilities.
The latest milestone involved concrete placement for the No. 15 fishway slab at elevation 170m, part of the downstream section of the fishway. The fishway will extend for 1730m and comprise an inlet section, zigzag fishway, dam-crossing section and outlet section. Approximately 70,000m³ of concrete will be required.
It is being constructed on the slopes of the left-bank intake and tailrace channels, where differences in elevation and a series of staggered steps have restricted the space available for construction. The maximum difference between steps is 21.5m. Around 12 million m³ of earth and rock excavation is required during the second phase, of which approximately 90% has now been completed.
Excavation of the left-bank slope reaches a maximum height of almost 200m. According to the project company, the rock mass consists mainly of karst breccia with a loose structure, adding to the challenges associated with excavation and simultaneous construction of the fishway.
The project team has coordinated high-slope excavation with construction of the fishway and introduced controls intended to limit the impact of blasting vibration on completed concrete structures.
Concrete for the fishway bottom slab was delivered using a boom pump, while the side walls and partitions were poured using a horizontal tank lifted by tower crane.
Several preparatory milestones have also been reached during 2026. Curtain grouting was completed on 21 April, sealing the cofferdam seepage prevention system, followed by completion of initial dewatering of the cofferdam foundation pit on 15 May.
The project’s concrete production system was completed and accepted on 3 August, ahead of the first structural concrete pour.
Construction will now continue on the fishway alongside the remaining earth and rock excavation works.
