Asia's largest single pump station officially opened

Asia's largest single pump station officially opened

On January 20, the launch ceremony of the first batch of key projects for the "15th Five-Year Plan" of Beautiful and Happy Rivers and Lakes in Zhongshan City and the water supply ceremony for key water conservancy projects during the "14th Five-Year Plan" were held at the Xihé Water Conservancy Hub Project site in Banfu Town. On that day, 11 key projects for Beautiful and Happy Rivers and Lakes, with a total investment of nearly 20 billion yuan, were officially launched. The Xihé Pump Station, designed with a drainage flow rate of 400 cubic meters per second and the largest single-unit flow rate in Asia, was officially put into operation. Guo Wenhai, Secretary of the Zhongshan Municipal Party Committee, announced the launch of the key projects for Beautiful and Happy Rivers and Lakes and the water supply of water conservancy projects. Guo Tianguo, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Water Conservancy News, attended the event, and Chen Renzhu, Deputy Director of the Provincial Water Resources Department, delivered a speech.

It is reported that the Xihe Pumping Station is currently the largest single-unit pumping station in Asia. Zhongshan now boasts two such stations—the Xihe and Donghe Pumping Stations—both ranking among the top five in Asia in terms of single-unit capacity. To address urban flooding in southern towns and districts, Zhongshan is actively constructing the Dayongkou Pumping Station, which will also achieve the fifth-largest single-unit capacity in Asia.

The upgrading of these critical water conservancy projects reflects a city's comprehensive efforts to enhance water security resilience. On the same day, the first batch of key projects under Zhongshan City's "15th Five-Year Plan" for Beautiful and Happy Rivers and Lakes was fully launched, with 11 major projects and a total investment of nearly 20 billion yuan commencing construction.

From this point of view, Zhongshan has shifted from the traditional flood control and drainage to the construction of a modern water network system integrating safety, resilience, ecology and economy.

With a total investment of approximately 760 million yuan, the Xihe Pump Station, classified as a Class I large-scale (Type 1) project, demonstrates its robust capabilities through its massive scale. It features eight giant vertical shaft cross-flow pump units, with a designed drainage flow rate of 400 cubic meters per second and an emergency reverse water supply flow rate of 145 cubic meters per second, achieving a total installed capacity of 18,400 kW.

This means that under extreme weather conditions and when external rivers flood, it forcefully discharges the internal floodwaters with tremendous force to counteract the tidal uplift at the Pearl River Estuary. Its flood (tide) prevention standard is designed for a 200-year return period, ensuring urban safety.

The Xihé Pumping Station is located on the western embankment of Zhongshun Dawei, serving as a protective barrier for the Qijiang River internally and facing the Modaomen waterway externally, effectively addressing a critical weakness in this "life-saving defense line." Zhongshun Dawei, one of the ten major embankments in Guangdong Province, spans across Zhongshan and Shunde, safeguarding the security of 659 square kilometers of land and millions of residents.

The completion of the Xihe Pumping Station now forms the Xihe Water Conservancy Hub, Zhongshan's largest water management complex, alongside the existing Xihe Water Gate and Ship Lock. This project significantly enhances the flood control and disaster mitigation system in Zhongshun Dawei, dramatically improving drainage efficiency, flood prevention, and agricultural water supply security. It effectively alleviates urban flooding pressure, strengthens drainage capacity across the Qijiang River Basin, and ensures water safety for both industrial and agricultural operations within the protected area.