Ertan Hydropower Development Company, Ltd., or EHDC, is an enterprise engaged in development of hydropower projects and generation of hydroelectric energy. Based in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, EHDC was established in 1991 and is now owned by three shareholders, namely State Development & Investment Corporation, Sichuan Provincial Investment Group Co., Ltd., and China Huadian Corporation, who share a total equity of RMB4.6 billion by the proportions of 48%, 48% and 4% respectively.

EHDC started with the Ertan Hydroelectric Project located on the Yalong River in the west of Sichuan Province. The project was officially commenced in 1991 and completed in 2000 at a total cost of RMB27.69 billion. With a high double-curvature concrete arch dam of 240m and an installed capacity of 3,300MW, it is China’s largest power project built in the 20th century. Since August, 1998 when the first turbine-generator unit was put into service, the station has been in safe operation, supplying in the last few years approx. 15 terawatt-hours of clean and green energy each year to the power grids of Sichuan and Chongqing.

After completion of Ertan, EHDC started preparatory works on other hydro schemes along the river. In 2003, the Central Government proclaimed that EHDC would be the sole developer fully responsible for development of the hydro-energy on the entire Yalong River.

The Yalong, in its main river of 1,571km, creates a natural drop of 3,830m. Because of its favorable features in terms of hydro-energy development, it ranks in the fourth place among China’s 13 hydropower bases. On the main river section, 21 cascade schemes totaling 29.188GW have been planned.

The company’s strategic plan for development of the Yalong is to complete the lower-reach projects before 2015, which include Jinping-I (3,600MW), Jinping-II (4,800MW), Guandi (2,400MW) and Tongzilin (600MW), build 3 to 4 major projects in the middle reach before 2020, including Lianghekou (3,000MW), and finish the remaining projects by 2025 to complete development of the whole valley. By then, the company’s total generation capacity will be close to 30GW. Of these projects, Jinping-I and Jinping-II have been officially commenced, while the others are in their various preparatory stages.

The company’s current market is Sichuan and Chongqing, and the target market in the future is the vast region of East China, where shortfalls in power supply are severely challenged by rapid growth of energy demand.

EHDC has a staff of 700 employees, with about 25% engaged in power production of Ertan, 15% recruited in preparation for future power plants, 45% resident on various projects, and 15% working at the head office.