The Dashixia Water Control Project in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region reached a significant milestone after its dam was successfully capped on Monday, signaling the commencement of a new phase in its construction.

The capping of the 247-meter facility, which is as tall as an 80-story building and is currently the world's highest concrete-faced sand-gravel dam, occurred eight months ahead of schedule, according to investor China Gezhouba Group Co, a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation.

A total of 18.9 million cubic meters of materials were used in the construction of the dam. That is enough to make 7,560 standard swimming pools, a media release from the company said.

Located in the middle and lower reaches of the Kumarak River in the Aksu region, the project is a major national water-saving and water-supply source. Launched in September 2021, it is expected to create a reservoir boasting a capacity exceeding 1.1 billion cubic meters, it noted.

Upon completion, it will offer a sustainable water supply to the Tarim River, aiding in the revitalization of its ecosystems. The water allocated to the Aksu River basin will significantly mitigate spring water shortages in its irrigated areas, benefiting more than 533,000 hectares of farmland.

With a total installed capacity of 750,000 kilowatts, it will be able to generate almost 1.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. All of its power generation units are scheduled to go into operation in July 2026.

Li Yang, an executive with the project, said the dam, which was built with an investment of nearly 9 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), was completed amid harsh natural conditions.

Frequented by hail, the area around the dam experiences extreme temperatures, with highs reaching 39.5 C in summer and lows dropping to — 22 C in winter, he said.

Zhong Denghua, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the project is a pioneering concrete-faced sand-gravel dam, serving as a model for the world. It has undergone comprehensive intelligent construction processes, employing smart technology at every stage.

The application of AI technology has helped resolve many technological hurdles in building dams of the type, including the swift on-site testing of water content and compaction quality, Zhong said.

He said the dam is the world's first concrete-faced sand-gravel dam constructed through the use of advanced cooperative technology involving intelligent unmanned compactors.

Contact the writers at [email protected]