From September 22 to 23, senior experts from the China Electrical Equipment Industry Association, China Electrical Engineering Society, and China Electrotechnical Society gathered in Beijing for a technical exchange and research session. The event highlighted the successful development of the world's largest standalone capacity unit—700 MW fully air-cooled hydro-generator—by Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. This milestone marked a significant advancement in China’s hydropower technology.
The fully air-cooled hydro-generator, independently designed, manufactured, and equipped with intellectual property rights by Harbin Electric, was connected to the grid on July 26 this year at the Three Gorges Right Bank Power Station. Additionally, the company launched the world’s first 700 MW fully air-cooled generator at Longtan Hydropower Station on May 21, marking its commercial operation.
Representatives from the China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corporation and Longtan Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. confirmed that both the Three Gorges No. 26 and Longtan units are operating smoothly and meeting all design specifications. While different cooling methods have their own advantages, the fully air-cooled system stands out due to its simple structure, easy installation, short commissioning time, reliable operation, low cost, and convenient maintenance.
Li Renfeng, a 79-year-old former deputy chief engineer of the Yunnan Electric Power Bureau, who has extensive experience in the Three Gorges site, remarked, “If you can cool it with air, why use water?†His statement reflected the growing confidence in the air-cooling approach.
Previously, hydropower units over 600 MW in China typically used water-cooling technology. Before the Longtan Power Station contract was signed, all 14 generators at the Three Gorges Left Bank were semi-water cooled. During the bidding process for Longtan, Harbin Electric and Alstom proposed a fully air-cooled design, which sparked considerable debate within the industry regarding whether such large-scale generators could be effectively air-cooled.
The core of the fully air-cooled generator design lies in managing temperature rise, stator thermal deformation, and insulation aging through advanced ventilation and cooling systems. To achieve this, comprehensive optimization and innovation across electromagnetic calculations, structural design, ventilation, and insulation systems were necessary. An expert from the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission’s Design and Research Institute noted that Harbin has developed a unique set of technologies in this area.
A senior industry expert told the reporter that the performance of Harbin’s air-cooled units has proven the success of the full-air-cooled design for the Three Gorges Right Bank and Longtan Power Stations. The integration of independent R&D, practical application, and technology absorption has led to remarkable achievements, offering a valuable model for China’s motor manufacturing industry to reach global technological standards.
Experts emphasized that this breakthrough represents a major milestone in China’s hydropower equipment development. It ended the long-standing foreign monopoly on air-cooling technology, reduced costs, and improved efficiency. Some even predict that China is entering a new era of fully air-cooled turbine generator operations.
Currently, Harbin Electric is the sole manufacturer of 600 MW and above fully air-cooled hydro-generators. These units are installed at several key hydropower stations, including Longtan (7 units), Three Gorges Right Bank (4 units), Laxiwa (5 units), Xiaowan (6 units), Jinping Level 1 (6 units), and Guandi (4 units). This achievement underscores China’s growing technological leadership in the global hydropower sector.
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