Qingjiang River, with origin from Longdonggou of the Qiyue Mountain in Lichuan City, Hubei Province, is the first large tributary of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River after the three gorges and runs through ten counties(cities) across the southwest Hubei from the west to east of Enshi, Changyang, Yidu, etc. with a total catchment area of 17000 km2. The total main stem is 423 km long with a total water drop of 1430 m.

Shuibuya Water Control Project, located in the middle stream of Qingjiang River at Shuibuya Town, Badong County, Hubei province, is 117 km to upstream Enshi city, the capital city of Enshi Tujia, Miao Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture, 92 km to downstream Geheyan Water Control Project, and 153 km down to the river mouth (Yidu city) where it pours into the Changjiang River. The highway distance from Yichang city to the damsite is about 230 km (direct line distance is 140 km).

1.2.1 Project tasks

According to the Planning Report on Qingjiang Valley (1993 Edition), Shuibuya Water Control Project is the first one in the 3 cascades development scheme in middle and lower reaches of Qingjiang River and also a key project in the comprehensive development of Qingjiang River. The project’s developing tasks are power generation, flood control, navigation and others.

1.2.2 Construction Reasons

(1) Outstanding comprehensive benefits

Power generation: The Shuibuya reservoir is a multi-year regulation reservoir with its NPL at 400 m, dead water level at 350 m and live capacity of 2.383 billion cubic meter. The Shuibuya hydropower station is a not-easy-found peak load and frequency regulation power station in Hubei province and central China region with firm power output of 310 MW, installation capacity of 1600 MW and annual output of 3.92 billion kWh. The completion of the project will also increase 70 MW of firm power output, 237 million kWh of annual output in the two downstream hydropower stations at Geheyan and Gaobazhou. Therefore, the total firm power output, installation capacity and annual output of the 3 cascade power stations will be 628.8 MW, 3052MW and 8.095 billion kWh. Geheyan hydropower station is a project with annual regulation ability and Shuibuya hydropower station is a project with multi-year regulation ability, therefore, the 3 cascade power stations in Qingjiang river will have the ability to take 7~9% of the peak load and become a clean and reliable peak load and frequency regulation base in Central China Power Network after the completion of Shuibuya power station. The expected independent power sale price of this project is below the target price in the time of the project is put into operation under the condition that only the power generation benefit is considered. The expected sale price is below the average price at that time under the condition that the three stations is calculated as a single project.

Therefore, this project is with strong market competition ability.

Compensation regulating can be carried out with other large hydropower stations in the system after the completion of Shuibuya power station with following benefits: a) about 1.7 billion kWh power losses due to water abandon will be reduced in Central China Power Network, among them there are about 1.2 billion kWh for the Three Gorges power station, b) the power and output of the Qingjiang cascade power stations in dry season, from December to March, can be increased through combined dispatch and compensation regulating among these hydropower stations in Central China Power Network, c) to improve the navigation condition downstream the Three Gorges project by reducing the power output and the discharge flow variety rate in dry season through combined operation between Shuibuya and the Three Gorges power station.

Flood control: The maximum flood level of Shuibuya reservoir is 404 m (p=0.01%), flood control level 391.8 m, flood control capacity 768 million m³, among them the 500 million m³ between NPL 400m and the flood control level is specially reserved for the flood control need at Jingjiang section in Changjiang river.

The flood control benefit of Shuibuya project is mainly at two aspects: Firstly, combined dispatch between Shuibuya reservoir and Geheyan reservoir will raise the flood control standard of Changyang County and Yidu city in the downstream of Qingjiang River to withstand 20~50 years a meet flood. Secondly, after the completion of Shuibuya reservoir, the reserved 1 billion m³ flood control capacity in the cascade reservoirs (among them 500 million m³ already reserved at Geheyan reservoir) can be used for the flood control at Jingjiang section in Changjiang river with following function: a) the control on Qingjiang flood is favorable for the flood control operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, b) raising the flood control standard at Jingjiang section, c) the reserved 500 million m³ flood control capacity in Shuibuya reservoir can postpone the flood diversion time and win more time for the transfer in case that the flood at Jingjiang section is above one hundred years a meet standard and flood diversion is needed after the completion of the Three Gorges Reservoir, d) the reserved 1 billion m³ flood control capacity in Qingjiang cascade reservoirs will further reduce the flood control pressure in case of high water level remained on the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River after the completion of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

In addition, if the construction plan of Shuibuya project arranged by the Government of Hubei province can be realized, i.e. starting the main-body construction at 2000, first unit put into operation at 2005 and the whole project to be completed at 2007, the dam height before flood season will at El.340 m and 375 m in the year 2004 and 2005 respectively with corresponding reservoir capacity of 1.4 and 2.6 billion m³. Before the flood season at 2006, the dam will be completed and the reserved 500 million-m3 flood control capacity will take its affect. This capacity together with the flood control capacity formed by the un-completed Three Gorges reservoir will reduce the flood risk on the middle and lower reaches of Changjiang River before the completion of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Navigation: The length of deep water channel at the main stem and its tributaries will be about 200 km after the completion of the Shuibuya reservoir which will promote and improve the navigation and tourism business around the reservoir. The shiplift at Geheyan and Gaobazhou project will be completed by that time, combining the ports and highways built together with Shuibuya project at the beginning, the mineral resources and qualified local specialties can be transported to the outside through Qingjiang River and hence promoting the local economic development. In the future, follow the economic development, Shibanxi navigation facility can be built between Shuibuya and Geheyan reservoir in case of necessary. A 300-tonnage deep-water channel from Enshi to Changjiang River will be formed at that time.

Others: Qingjiang is one of the four large tourism resorts in Hubei province. The tourism resources upstream Shuibuya project is abundant. The waterway transportation will facilitate tourism and the perspective of tourism business is very wide after the completion of Qingjiang cascade reservoirs.

The water surface area at NPL 400 m of Shuibuya reservoir is about 64 km². As Qingjiang is located at mountain area and there is no large industry pollution, the clean and qualified reservoir water will provide good condition for the development of fishery.

(2) Boost the economic development of Enshi Prefecture

Enshi Tujia, Miao Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture, located at the Southwest Hubei, is one of the most poverty-stricken area in Hubei province. The construction of Shuibuya project will not only push the economic development in the damsite area immediately by partly absorbing rural labor forces and these laid-off workers, but also partly improve the near-by transportation condition through road re-construction and newly constructed ports and highways. After the completion of the project, the navigation, tourism and fishery business in the reservoir area will be improved. In addition, local tax will also become a magnificent income for the local finance.

(3) Favorable conditions for construction

a) Short power transmission line. The power of Shuibuya power station will be transmitted to the Hubei province and the Central China Power Network. Direct line distance to 500 kV substation is only 140 km.

b) Convenient access to outside. Only a 30 km long new highway from Lanping to damsite together with partly upgrade of the local highways will meet the need of the project construction.

c) Inundated population is relatively small. All the immigrants can be resettled within the local county (city), no outside resettlement is needed, and the population resettled in plantation is more than 95%.

d) The sale price to the network after the completion of the project is below the average price of Central China Power Network and even far below its target price. The sale price is not only acceptable to the market, but also with competition advantage.

e) A construction management system suitable for market economy and a Valley, Cascade, Rolling and Comprehensive Development status has already formed. Hubei Qingjiang Hydroelectric Development Co. Ltd.(hereinafter referred as HQDC) has trained and exercised a staff team combing construction and operation management with rich experience and technical strength through more than ten years’ practice on project construction and management since 1987. The earlier construction of the Shuibuya project will gain more experience and set up a model for Valley, Cascade, Rolling and Comprehensive Development in China.

1.3.1 Valley planning

Changjiang Water Resources Commission (CWRC) has started its comprehensive researches over Qingjiang Valley since 1954 and has submitted the Qingjiang Valley Planning Report in 1964. In 1986, based on the 1964’s planning, an Additional Report on Qingjiang Valley Planning was submitted based on the amendment for the comprehensive planning of the water resources on Qingjiang Valley, and a three cascade development scheme(with Shuibuya damsite as the first one) for the main stem after Enshi was recommended. In the end of 1993, CWRC based on the above two mentioned reports carried out an amendment once again on the valley planning and submitted the Qingjiang Valley Planning Report (1993 edition) in considering the present situation of the water resources development. This report past its examination in January 1994. Major comments of the examination are: agree with the report that the developing tasks for this river section are power generation, flood control, navigation and others, agree with the report that this river section will adopt the Shuibuya/Banxia-Geheyan-Gaobazhou three cascade development scheme, and continue the construction of the Shuibuya/ Banxia hydropower station after the completion of Geheyan and Gaobazhou hydropower station. The Government of Hubei province approved the examination comments by file no. E Zheng Ban Fa [1994]128 #.

Presently, the Geheyan Water Control Project is completed and the Gaobazhou project is under construction. Five among the nine cascade projects planned on the Qingjiang main stem above Enshi are completed.

1.3.2 Pre-feasibility study

The survey and design work for Shuibuya project is carried out according to the contracts signed between HQDC and CWRC in February 1993 and February 1996.

In the end of 1993, after the Notice Regarding the Design Stage Adjustment of Hydroelectric Project issued by the Ministry of Electric Power(MEP), HQDC required that CWRC to compile the Feasibility Study Report according to the new design stages, i.e. add a pre-feasibility study stage and combine the original feasibility study and preliminary design together and just call its as feasibility study stage. Meanwhile, HQDC also entrusted China Consultants Company on Water Resources Construction Projects as the design supervisor in order to quicken the survey and design process of Shuibuya project and to ensure the good quality of the survey and design results.

In October 1994, CWRC submitted the Pre-feasibility Study Report on Qingjiang Shuibuya Water Control Project of Hubei Province. At the end of the same year, the former General Institute on Water Resources and Hydropower Design and Planning together with Hubei Provincial Planning Committee held the examination meeting in Wuhan and submitted a examination comments. CWRC submitted a additional report based on the examination comments. After the General Institute revised part of its examination comments, the Ministry of Electric Power approved the examination comments. In the examination comments, it is agreed that the preliminary designed scheme with NPL and installation capacity of Shuibuya project at 400 m and 1600 MW.