Recently, the Ituango Hydropower Station project in Colombia achieved a major breakthrough—the south-bound 35-meter construction adit has been accurately holed through to the underground powerhouse. The achievement of this key milestone marks phased progress in the construction of the project's critical underground passage and opens up a "lifeline" for subsequent main construction.

As a flood-damage restoration project, the works face multiple challenges including complex and variable geological conditions, with the support works for the upstream and downstream side walls of the powerhouse being a particular "bottleneck" problem. The project team broke away from conventional construction paradigms and innovatively adopted a stepped advancement method of "excavation and support in parallel," using a strategy of preferentially lowering the upstream half-section, strictly implementing safety control measures, and scientifically coordinating the construction sequence, thereby ensuring the smooth completion of the holing-through task.

As the "heart" of the hydropower station, the underground powerhouse is not only the core carrier for the electromechanical equipment cluster but also the central system safeguarding the safe and efficient operation of the hydropower station throughout its entire life cycle. The successful holing-through of the passage from the south-bound adit to the powerhouse has not only opened up an important construction transport route but also created favorable conditions for subsequent powerhouse processes such as concrete pouring and electromechanical installation.

This project is the first hydropower station project signed in the Americas by Sinohydro Bureau 11 under its own brand "Yellow River." It is the largest hydropower station project in Colombia undertaken by PowerChina, with a total installed capacity of 2,400 MW. Once completed, it will meet 12% of the country's electricity demand, providing strong support for Colombia's power supply.

The project department will continue to adhere to high standards and strict requirements, steadily advance subsequent construction, ensure the project proceeds safely, efficiently, and with high quality, and make every effort to help the Ituango Hydropower Station achieve early commissioning and power generation.

Ituango Hydropower Station Project