On the afternoon of February 20, the "Zhaoqing No. 1" hard rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the gravity drainage tunnel of the Guangdong Zhaoqing Langjiang Pumped Storage Power Station successfully launched, pressing the "accelerator key" for the project construction.

The Guangdong Zhaoqing Langjiang Pumped Storage Power Station is the first pumped storage power station project in Zhaoqing City and the first variable-speed pumped storage power station in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is a national key implementation project during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. The total installed capacity of the power station is 1.2 million kilowatts. The 14th Bureau of Hydropower undertook the TBM construction of the 5,307.189-meter-long gravity drainage tunnel project (Lot L3).

As the first TBM applied to the construction of a pumped storage power station in the Guangdong region of China Southern Power Grid, the "Zhaoqing No. 1" TBM has an excavation diameter of 3.53 meters, a total length of about 52 meters, and a total machine weight of about 220 tons. This TBM was specially developed to address the challenges of the gravity drainage tunnel of the Guangdong Zhaoqing Pumped Storage Power Station, such as "small tunnel diameter, long distance, and blind-head excavation." It features ultra-small radius turning and is equipped with innovative technologies such as long-distance retreat of the entire machine, rapid disassembly in blind tunnels, and rapid support during excavation. It offers efficient rock breaking, sharp flexibility, and continuous construction, providing strong guarantees for the safe, high-quality, and efficient construction of the project.

To ensure the smooth launch of the TBM, the project team made careful preparations and meticulous arrangements, repeatedly verified and optimized the construction plan, strengthened training for construction personnel, and improved their operational skills and safety awareness to ensure that the construction process was foolproof. During the equipment assembly and commissioning process, the operators overcame many difficulties such as the narrow site and the great difficulty of equipment transportation, and strictly followed construction specifications and technical standards to steadily advance all work, ensuring that the equipment reached its optimal operating condition and met the launch conditions.

The smooth launch of the TBM is a milestone of great significance in the construction process of the project, injecting strong momentum into the advancement of the entire project.

"Zhaoqing No. 1" TBM