With the push of a button Friday morning, Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan commissioned another 700,000 kilowatt generating set in the giant Three Gorges Project in central China's Hubei Province.

All the fourteen 700,000 kilowatt generating sets in the northern bank power station, which feature high localization rates, have gone into operation by now.

"Successful localization of hydroelectric equipment in the Three Gorges Project means China has been able to design, manufacture, install and operate on its own 700,000 kilowatt water turbine generator sets," Zeng said at the commissioning ceremony.

According to Zeng, two of the generating sets have achieved localization rates of 71 percent and 85 percent, respectively.

Zeng called for summarizing the experience gained in localization and continuing to push forward the construction of large-scale hydroelectric projects and independent manufacturing of major technological equipment.

He noted that of the 12 generating sets in the southern bank power station, now under construction, eight are expected to be completed by domestic enterprises themselves.

According to the original plan, the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River, with an estimated cost of 180 billion yuan (approximately 21.7 billion US dollars), will have 26 generators with a combined generating capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts.

Source: Xinhua