PU'ER, Yunnan, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The largest hydropower
station on Lancang River in southwest China's Yunnan Province --
known as the Mekong River in southeast Asia -- went into
operation Thursday with its first power generating unit up and
running. The Nuozhadu hydroelectric station, located in the city
of Pu'er, is China's 4th largest of its kind. It will be
installed with nine same-size generating units with a total
capacity of 5.85 gigawatts. All the units will be put into
operation by 2014, thus enabling the station to generate 23.9
billion kwh of electricity on average each year. By churning out
clean energy, the station will help save 9.6 million tonnes of
standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18.8
million tonnes each year. The dam of the Nuozhadu station is
261.5 meters high, the highest in Asia and the world's third
highest. As one of the seven planned hydropower projects on
Lancang River inside China, the station will increase the
electricity supply and optimize the energy mix and a