In 2025, under the unified deployment of the China Three Gorges Corporation, the Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant under CYPC managed the Xiangjiaba Ship Lift through lean operation, successfully completing its navigation tasks. The annual cargo throughput of the ship lift reached 1.5767 million tons, with the cumulative cargo throughput over the years exceeding 10.5 million tons. For six consecutive years, it has surpassed the annual design targets for cargo throughput, further enhancing the function of the Yangtze River's "Golden Waterway".
Safety is the solid foundation for stable navigation
Always adhering to the principle of "conducting all essential maintenance tasks and delivering satisfactory maintenance", the Plant completed the largest annual shutdown maintenance task to date safely, efficiently, and with high quality. Faced with multiple high-risk and technically challenging first-time maintenance tasks, such as the overhaul maintenance of hydraulic cylinder in the ship chamber's No. 2 hydraulic system, all the staff rose to the challenges. They independently developed a suite of special tools, including a locking-cylinder transport support frame and custom-designed suspended work platform assembly. This year's critical annual maintenance and overhaul campaign for the ship lift was successfully completed in just 35 days. Furthermore, leveraging standardization efforts, the Plant revised and improved 14 sets of regulations, formulated 4 new maintenance instructions, and completed the application for the international standard "Guidelines for the Application of Functional Safety to Measurement and Control Systems of Large Vertical Lifting Equipment". This further strengthened the quality control system for the ship lift's equipment operation and maintenance management, providing robust support for safe navigation and contributing "CYPC Wisdom" to the industry-wide standardization development.
Science & technology is the key engine for quality and efficiency enhancement
The Plant placed high importance on technological innovation for the ship lift sector, advancing 7 research projects throughout the year and obtaining 35 authorized patents, including 9 invention patents. The Plant independently completed the research and application of key technologies for the design and installation of the C-shaped turbine shaft seal structure for the ship lift's head seal frame. This extended the lifespan of the C-shaped turbine shaft seal from 3 to 5 years and reduced the replacement period from 14 to 7 days, saving an average of 6.53 days of navigation suspension annually. This improvement effectively increased annual cargo volume and won the First Prize for Quality Technology Innovation and Improvement in the Water Resources and Electric Power Industry. The R&D program titled "Key Technologies for and Applications of Safe Operation and Maintenance of Large High-lift Vertical Ship Lift" established an integrated safety early-warning system for vessels during ship lift transits. By virtue of solving technical challenges such as water level prediction under complex conditions and equipment fire safety, the program was awarded the First Prize for Science and Technology Progress from the China Association of Work Safety.
Talent is the fundamental support for steady and long-term progress
By vigorously implementing a management model featuring "integrated O&M and deep interdisciplinary integration", building a "Training + Hands-on Practice + Competition" trinity talent development system, and strengthening equipment fault diagnosis and defect management with effective measures, the Plant cultivated a cohort of versatile, multi-skilled professionals specialized in ship-lift operation and maintenance, thereby comprehensively enhancing the technical proficiency of the team responsible for managing this critical national infrastructure. Among the achievements, 13 personnel obtained special electrical operation certifications, and 3 employees won individual third prize and a team second prize at the National Finals of the 15th Nationwide Lock and Ship Lift Operator Vocational Skills Competition for the Transportation Industry. Benefiting from this comprehensive talent cultivation system, the operational stability of the ship lift equipment continuously improved. Navigation efficiency and vessel transit capacity showed sustained positive trends, with a total of 331 safe navigation days achieved for the year, exceeding the annual target by 31 days. The vessel's average downstream cargo weight per single trip reached a record high.
Looking forward, all the staff of the Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant will continue to uphold craftsmanship, pursue perfection, and strive for new heights. We will drive the operation and maintenance management of the ship lift to a higher level with stricter standards and more concrete measures, actively building it into a navigation benchmark for large-scale hydropower hubs, and injecting powerful momentum into the high-quality development of shipping on the Jinsha River.
(+86)0717-6767608Technical support provided by the Digital management center, CYPC China Yangtze Power Co.,LtdJing ICP Bei No.05051793-1
