China Datang International - Vertical Shaft Penstock Reverse Pull Installation Completed at Zala Hydropower Station in Tibet

Wedoany.com Report, On March 4th, at the Datang Zala Hydropower Station in Tibet, China, the reverse pull installation of the penstock for the lower bend section of the No. 2 secondary vertical shaft was successfully completed. This marks that the installation work for the penstocks of all four vertical shafts in the station's water diversion system is about to commence in full swing.

The installation process for the vertical shaft penstocks at Zala Hydropower Station continues to advance steadily. The installation of the first section of the penstock for the lower bend of the No. 1 secondary vertical shaft began on December 16, 2025. Subsequently, the installation of the first section for the lower bend of the No. 1 primary vertical shaft commenced on January 12, 2026, followed by the No. 2 primary vertical shaft's first lower bend section on January 27, 2026, and the No. 2 secondary vertical shaft's first lower section on February 24, 2026. During the peak period of penstock installation for the water diversion system, construction involved four work zones and up to twelve working faces operating simultaneously, covering sections such as the lower horizontal exposed pipe, upstream and downstream sections of the lower horizontal part, four vertical shaft sections, the middle horizontal section, the upper horizontal section, the main tunnel, and the bifurcation pipe section. The project plan aims to complete the installation of over 15,000 tons of penstock within 2026.

The Datang Zala Hydropower Station has a total installed capacity of 1015 megawatts, which includes a 15-megawatt ecological power station. It is classified as a Grade II large (2) type project. The station's water diversion tunnels feature a circular cross-section design following a "two units, one tunnel" layout, with a vertical arrangement of two tunnels each equipped with two-stage vertical shafts. The primary vertical shafts have a depth of approximately 299.8 meters, while the secondary shafts are about 270.8 meters deep. The entire project requires the installation of 1,215 penstock sections, with a total designed engineering quantity reaching 22,892.73 tons. The installation of the vertical shaft penstocks is a critical component of this undertaking.