which type of bearings will be applied in the China latest super hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River

The Lower Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Project, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, has a total investment of approximately 1.2 trillion RMB (the Three Gorges Project invested 248.5 billion RMB). The project primarily utilizes a "straightening" and tunneling approach to development. Five cascade hydropower stations are planned, with a total installed capacity of 7-80 GW, equivalent to the hydropower generated by three Three Gorges Dams (the Three Gorges Dam has an installed capacity of 22.5 million kW). Upon completion, the project will generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Medog, the core section of the Lower Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Project, will generate hydropower across a 40-kilometer, 2,200-meter drop by constructing a water diversion tunnel through the mountains. To support this massive energy conversion, the world's tallest concrete dam will be required, requiring 150 million tons of sand and gravel aggregate alone, three times that of the Three Gorges Project.

I. Construction of Key Related Industries

During the construction period, substantial investment was made in engineering construction, driving the rapid development of related industries such as construction, building materials, and machinery and equipment.

As the project progressed, 3,000 kilometers of high-grade highways and a 4,000-kilometer ultra-high voltage power grid were built as supporting infrastructure.

II. Key Intelligent Construction Measures

A swarm of drones conducted topographic mapping. Leveraging high-precision GPS positioning and advanced photogrammetry technology, they provided comprehensive, high-precision mapping of the project area, providing detailed and accurate topographic data for design and construction.

5G remote-controlled loaders flexibly operated in harsh environments. Operators remotely controlled loaders from a safe location via the 5G network, minimizing the safety threats posed by inclement weather to construction workers and improving construction efficiency.

With 90% of the structures hidden underground, the construction team employed a collaborative operation model combining a TBM (Transport Boring Machine) and an intelligent support robot.

Concrete pouring robots operated 24/7, ensuring uniform and dense concrete placement through precise automated control, improving construction quality.

III. Key Bearings and Peripheral Applications

1.Demand for Turbine Bearings: The project utilizes nearly 100 hydro-turbine generators with a single unit capacity exceeding 1 million kilowatts. The main thrust bearings of these turbines must withstand high loads and be corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant, among other extreme conditions.

Turbine: Dongfang Electric, a global leader in Pelton turbines.

2.Demand for Shield Machine Main Bearings: The project utilizes a "straightening and tunnel diversion" approach, requiring the construction of tens of kilometers of diversion tunnels, which creates a significant demand for TBMs. As core components, shield machine main bearings must withstand high torque and complex geological stresses, posing a high technical barrier.

Shield Equipment: China Railway Construction Heavy Industry, a leading domestic TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) manufacturer.

3.Demand for Construction Machinery and Building Materials Equipment Bearings: The project will take 12 years to complete and is expected to consume over 500,000 tons of copper, 800,000 tons of aluminum, and 4 million tons of high-strength steel. This will indirectly drive demand for bearings in construction machinery and building materials equipment (cement, nonferrous metals, and metallurgy).

Construction Machinery: Sany Group, XCMG Group, etc., demand for large-tonnage excavators and cranes.

Cement and Building Materials: Tibet Tianlu, Huaxin Cement.

4.Intelligent Control and Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Demand: The project is introducing drone swarms and 5G remote control technology, requiring bearings to be integrated with real-time condition monitoring systems.

Fourth: Increasing Bearing Demand Forecast (Source: Deepseek)

1.Hydrogenerator Sets

A single unit requires main shaft bearings, guide bearings, thrust bearings, and other equipment. The value of a single shaft in a large unit can reach tens of millions of yuan. If the planned installed capacity is 60 million kilowatts (60 units), the total bearing demand is approximately 1.8 to 3 billion yuan.

Gate hoists, turbine speed control systems, transmissions, etc. all require high-precision bearings, which are expected to account for 20-30% of the unit's bearing demand, or 360-600 million yuan.

2.Bearings for Construction Equipment

Excavators, tunnel boring machines, cranes, concrete pump trucks, and other equipment require a large number of heavy-duty bearings. Taking the Three Gorges Project as an example, bearing procurement during the construction period will be approximately 500-800 million yuan (the Yarlung Zangbo River's more complex geological conditions may lead to higher demand).

Demand for bearings for heavy trucks and construction vehicles is approximately 200-300 million yuan.

3.Extended Supply Chain Demand

Transformer bearings for supporting UHV transmission (such as cooling system fans and transformer oil pumps) are estimated at 100-200 million yuan.

The long-term replacement and maintenance bearing market has an average annual demand of approximately 5-10% of the project's initial investment.

4.Total Business Volume Estimation

Construction Period (10-15 years): Direct equipment bearings + construction machinery bearings will total approximately 3-6 billion yuan (depending on the specific installed capacity and construction difficulty). Full Lifecycle: Including operations, maintenance, and technical upgrades, the total bearing market size could exceed 10 billion yuan. (This amount needs to be spread over the entire 10-15 year construction period).

Note: This does not include the incremental bearing demand from manufacturing companies.