| Yamdrok Hydropower Station | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Chinese: 羊卓雍湖抽水蓄能电厂: Yangzhuoyong Lake Pumped Storage Power Plant |
| Country | China |
| Location | Lhoka Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region |
| Coordinates | 29°15′51″N 90°36′23″E / 29.2641°N 90.6064°E |
| Opening date | 1997–98 |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Yamdrok Lake |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 840 m (2,760 ft) |
| Turbines | 1 x 22.5 MW Francis-type |
| Pump-generators | 4 x 22.5 MW reversible Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 112.5 MW |
The Yamdrok Hydropower Station (Chinese: 羊卓雍湖抽水蓄能电厂), also known as the Yamdrok Yumtso or Yamzhog Yumcog hydropower station, is a hydroelectric power station just north of Yamdrok Lake, about 16 km (9.9 mi) southwest of Qüxü. The power station is in the Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Opposition to using the lake, considered holy, delayed construction at first. The project ran into difficulties and was two years late, completed in 1998.
Water is taken from the natural lake through long tunnels, without the need for a dam, and the power station discharges it into the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The design is a pumped-storage system, where off-peak power from other generators on the grid is used to pump water back into the lake when power is not needed. However, the river water has high levels of sediment and nitrates compared to the lake, and lower levels of minerals. Pumping may upset the lake's ecosystem, while not pumping may drain it.