Chapter 429: Super Hydropower Station Plan, Long River and Yajiang

The meeting hall was in silence; everyone was staring at that shocking chart.

"What is even more severe is the future trend," Li Mingyuan flipped to the next slide, "According to the current speed of industrialization, the national power gap will expand to 40% within three years, and it may reach 60% within five years. What does this mean? It means the factories we have worked so hard to build will be unable to operate at full capacity, it means the weapons and equipment we have meticulously designed will be unable to be mass-produced due to insufficient energy, and it means our Space Project and Missile plans may be forced to be postponed due to unstable power!"

His voice gradually rose, and a rare passion flickered in his eyes, "Energy is the true lifeline of Long Country!"

The meeting hall was deathly silent; even the usually composed Vice Commander was furrowing his brows, continuously recording something in his notebook.

"Although coal resources are abundant, their extraction, transportation, and usage efficiency are all limited. More importantly, excessive reliance on coal will make our energy lifeline subject to the transportation network; once railways and highways are destroyed in wartime, the national energy supply will immediately fall into paralysis."

Li Mingyuan paused for a moment, scanning the expression of every leader in the meeting hall to ensure his information was fully received.

"So, what is the solution?" He raised the question in everyone's mind, then answered it himself, "Large-scale hydropower station construction, combined with a diversified energy layout of wind power and solar energy."

He flipped to the next slide, which showed a topographic map of Long Country with several key water systems marked.

"I propose two super hydropower station plans: the Long River Super Hydropower Station and the Ya River Super Hydropower Station. Once these two projects are completed, they will completely change the energy landscape of Long Country and provide a continuous power supply for our industrialization."

Low discussions began in the meeting hall, and an elderly Minister of Water Resources stood up, "Chief Engineer Li, we have always been planning hydropower station construction, but limited by technology and funds, the scale has never been large. What is special about the 'super hydropower stations' you speak of?"

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly, "Please allow me to introduce them in detail."

He pulled up a detailed map of the Long River basin, "The Long River Super Hydropower Station is sited in the middle and lower reaches of the Long River; this area has high terrain, a large drop, and abundant water volume, making it an ideal location for building a world-class hydropower station."

He began to explain his design philosophy fluently, "Unlike traditional hydropower stations, I have designed a brand-new model that combines 'Step-style Multi-stage Energy Storage' with 'Underground Water Diversion Long Tunnel'. This design can maximize the water head difference and power generation efficiency, increasing power generation by at least 40% compared to traditional single-dam hydropower stations."

Li Mingyuan walked to the projector and switched to a complex engineering drawing, "The main dam adopts a new type of Honeycomb Structure of Reinforced Concrete; this structure in my previ..." He suddenly realized he had almost let something slip and quickly corrected himself, "In theoretical research, it has shown extremely strong seismic and explosion-proof performance, with a service life that can reach 200 years, far exceeding contemporary projects."

The engineering experts in the meeting hall began to whisper to each other, discussing this unheard-of design philosophy.

"The power station is planned to install 20 million-kilowatt-class hydro-turbine units; after completion, the annual power generation will reach 400 billion kilowatt-hours, exceeding any hydropower station currently in the world. The power transmission range will cover the entire central, eastern, and coastal industrial zones."

When Li Mingyuan said this, he deliberately paused for a moment, observing the reactions of everyone present. Most people had expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces.

"Is this... possible?" a member of the Planning Committee couldn't help but ask.

Li Mingyuan nodded confidently, "Not only possible, but it must be realized. More importantly, this power station will also be equipped with the country's first 'Smart Grid' system, using advanced Computer technology to dispatch power in real-time to ensure a stable supply."

He pointed to a special area on the drawing, "This is the 'Emergency Energy Storage Reservoir', which can continuously provide at least three months of basic power supply under extreme weather conditions or during strategic strikes, ensuring that the country's key facilities will not be paralyzed due to power interruptions."

The atmosphere in the meeting hall became exceptionally heated, and many people began to discuss this grand plan in low voices. Li Mingyuan saw the Vice Commander listening intently, with a glimmer of approval flickering in his eyes.

"Next," Li Mingyuan switched to the next slide, "is the Ya River Super Hydropower Station."

A topographic map of the Yajiang Canyon appeared on the screen; unlike the Long River, the Yajiang flows through high mountains and canyons, and the terrain is even more precipitous.

"The Ya River Super Hydropower Station is sited in the Yajiang Canyon, where the drop is extremely large, the geology is stable, and the water source is abundant; it is an ideal place for building a super-large hydropower station."

Li Mingyuan pointed to a red dot on the map, "From a technical perspective, this location can build the hydropower station with the largest drop in the world. I have designed a 'Deep-buried Underground Powerhouse'; this design can significantly reduce the ground footprint while simultaneously enhancing the power station's protection level."

He switched to a complex drawing of the generating units, "The power station will introduce 'Supercritical Hydropower Generation Technology', and the power of a single unit can break world records, reaching 1.5 million kilowatts."

A burst of exclamation sounded in the meeting hall again. A single-unit capacity of 1.5 million kilowatts was an almost unimaginable figure at the time.

"The Yajiang power station will adopt a 'Cascade Joint Control + North-South Complementary' model, echoing the Long River power station from afar to realize power peak-shaving on a national scale. The smart dispatch center will be located in the Underground Anti-nuclear Command Post to ensure continuous power supply even in wartime."

Li Mingyuan's voice became increasingly full of passion, "More importantly, after the Yajiang power station is completed, we will control the water flow of the Yajiang; the downstream of this river is the main agricultural area and densely populated area of the White Elephant Country. This means we will grasp the strategic initiative over the White Elephant Country!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the meeting hall. As everyone knew, the White Elephant Country had always had close relations with the Star-Spangled Country and was a potential threat to the south of Long Country. If the water resources flowing into the White Elephant Country could be controlled, this would be a huge strategic card.

A high-ranking official from the Military stood up, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "Chief Engineer Li, are you saying that through the Ya River Super Hydropower Station, we can cut off or reduce the amount of water flowing into the White Elephant Country during wartime, forcing them to make concessions to us in military and diplomatic terms?"

Li Mingyuan nodded, "Theoretically, yes. Of course, we are a peace-loving country and will not use such means lightly. But in international games, grasping such strategic resources will undoubtedly greatly enhance our bargaining chips."

The atmosphere in the meeting hall became exceptionally heated for a time, and many people began to fiercely discuss the strategic significance of this plan. The Vice Commander had to knock on the table to signal everyone to quiet down.

"Chief Engineer Li, your two super hydropower station plans are indeed shocking," the Vice Commander said calmly, "but what about the construction period and investment?"

Li Mingyuan was prepared, "For the Long River Super Hydropower Station, it will take 5 years from the start of construction to the power generation of the first batch of units; full completion will take 8 years. The construction period for the Ya River Super Hydropower Station is similar, but they can be staggered to avoid excessive concentration of resources."

He pulled up a detailed investment budget table, "The total investment is about 20 billion Long Coins, invested over 10 years. The number looks large, but considering the annual power generation and service life after these two power stations are completed, the cost per kilowatt-hour is actually 20% lower than coal power. More importantly, once hydropower is built, it hardly requires additional fuel input, which is crucial for our long-term energy security."

The Vice Commander nodded, thinking about the feasibility of this massive plan. A member of the Planning Committee raised his hand to speak, "Chief Engineer Li, relying solely on hydropower is probably not comprehensive enough. If we encounter a drought year, the power generation of the hydropower stations will drop significantly."

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly, "You have raised a very critical question. This is exactly the third plan I am about to introduce—the New Energy Multi-line Advancement Plan."

He switched to a national wind energy resource distribution map, "Our Dongbei grasslands and coastal mudflats have extremely abundant wind energy resources. I propose building wind farms on a large scale in these areas, using my improved high-efficiency wind turbine design."

Li Mingyuan pointed to several red dots on the map, "These locations have stable wind speeds and are suitable for building large wind power bases. The wind turbines I designed are 30% more efficient than traditional ones, have a long service life, and have low maintenance costs."

He switched to the next slide, showing the operating mode of Wind-Hydro Complementary, "The best part is that we can realize 'Wind-Hydro Complementary'. When the wind is strong, we prioritize wind power and use hydropower for peak-shaving; when the wind weakens, we increase hydropower output. This complementary mode can maximize the utilization efficiency of renewable energy and reduce energy waste."

The experts in the meeting hall began to nod; this complementary operating mode was indeed theoretically feasible, but almost no country had practiced it at the time.

"Besides wind power, I also propose laying out solar power generation bases on a large scale in the northwestern deserts and hilly areas." Li Mingyuan switched to a map of the Northwest region, "These areas have sufficient sunlight and vast land, which is very suitable for developing solar energy. I have designed a new type of thin-film high-conversion-rate solar panel, with a conversion efficiency that can reach 25%, which is more than twice the current world level."

Speaking of this, Li Mingyuan deliberately paused for a moment, waiting for the reactions of the crowd. Sure enough, another burst of exclamation and discussion erupted in the meeting hall.

"25% conversion efficiency? How is this possible?" an Academician of the Academy of Sciences couldn't help but question.

Li Mingyuan was confident, "Through special material combinations and structural design, this is completely achievable. I have already produced small prototypes that can be tested and verified at any time."

The Academician of the Academy of Sciences showed an expression of disbelief, but did not dare to easily deny Li Mingyuan's words. After all, this young Chief Engineer had already created too many miracles that ordinary people could not imagine.

"Wind power and solar energy, combined with super hydropower stations, form a diversified energy supply network," Li Mingyuan concluded, "This will fundamentally solve Long Country's energy shortcomings and provide a solid energy guarantee for our industrialization and modernization."

The meeting hall was in silence; everyone was so shocked by Li Mingyuan's grand energy plan that they were speechless. After a long while, the Vice Commander broke the silence.

"Chief Engineer Li, your energy plan is indeed shocking," his voice was full of admiration, "but these plans require a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial investment. Our current resources are limited; how can we ensure that these projects can be implemented smoothly?"

Li Mingyuan had long anticipated this question, "Comrade Vice Commander, it is precisely because resources are limited that we need to have strategic vision even more. Energy is the foundation of all development; without sufficient energy supply, our industrialization will be difficult to move forward."