Uma umi phezu kweSiteshi sikagesi iBaihetan Hydropower Station, umoya uvunguza phezu kwesakhiwo esikhulu kanye noMfula iJinsha omkhulu ogeleza kancane kancane ngaphansi, umuntu akanakuzibamba kodwa uzizwa eshaqekile kakhulu. Lokhu akulona nje idamu; kuwubufakazi bokuhlakanipha komuntu kanye nokukhanya kwamandla azinzile. Njengoba itholakala emngceleni ophakathi kwezifundazwe zaseSichuan naseYunnan eNingizimu-ntshonalanga yeShayina, iBaihetan iyisiteshi sikagesi sesibili ngobukhulu emhlabeni ngokwesilinganiso samandla afakiwe, “iparele” langempela eMfuleni iJinsha.
Ukunqoba “Isiqalekiso Esingenakuphulwa”
Idamu laseBaihetan liyidamu eliphindwe kabili elingamamitha angu-289 ukuphakama, isakhiwo esikhulu esakhiwe ukuze simelane nezingcindezi ezinkulu. Sekungamashumi eminyaka imboni yokwakha amadamu ihlushwa yisisho esithi “cha idamu aliqhekeki,” ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokushisa okubangelwa ukushisa okubangelwa ukhonkolo lapho uphola futhi unkontileka uphela. Nokho, onjiniyela baseBaihetan baphumelele ekubhekaneni nale nselele.
Isikhali sabo esiyimfihlo? Ukusetshenziswa kabanzi kwesimende esikhethekile esishisa kancane esakhiwe eShayina kulo lonke idamu. Lokhu kwaziswa okusha kunciphisa kakhulu ukucindezeleka kokushisa ngesikhathi senqubo yokubeka ukhonkolo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, inqubo yokwakha yayimangalisa ngokunemba. Ukuqinisekisa izimo eziphelele, ithimba lafaka izinzwa zokushisa ezingaphezu kuka-6,000 kanye namamitha angu-80,000 emicu ye-optical ngaphakathi kwesakhiwo sedamu, kwakha "uhlelo lwezinzwa" oluhlakaniphile olwaluqapha isimo sekhonkolo ngesikhathi sangempela. Umphumela uyimpumelelo emangalisayo: ngaphezu kwamamitha ayizigidi ezingu-8 ekhonkolo athululelwa ngaphandle koqhekeko olulodwa oluhlobene nokushisa, iqiniso elifanekiselwa ngokuziqhenya yisampula eyinhloko engamamitha angu-36.74 ubude ekhishwe edamini, ende kunazo zonke emhlabeni.
Inhliziyo Yesiqhwaga: Indlu Enamandla Yesigidi Sama-Kilowatt
Amandla eqiniso eBaihetan angaphakathi kakhulu emihumeni yezintaba. Ukwehlela endlini yamandla engaphansi komhlaba engaphansi kolwandle olungakwesokudla kufana nokungena esontweni elikhulu elizinikele ekuhlanzeni amandla. Lapha, ama-turbine amakhulu ayisishiyagalombili abekwe ehholo elikhulu kangangokuba angathwala isithwali sezindiza.
Lawa angamajeneretha okuqala emhlabeni angama-kilowatt ayisigidi esingu-1, ngalinye linesisindo esingamathani angu-8,000—okulingana noMbhoshongo we-Eiffel. Ukukhiqizwa kwawo kuyisici esivelele sokuqamba okusha okuzimele kwaseShayina kanye nekhono lobuchwepheshe. Ukunemba okuhilelekile kuyamangaza. Ngenkathi lawa ma-giant ejikeleza ngokujikeleza okungu-111 ngomzuzu, ukudlidliza kwawo kuncane kakhulu. Ekuboniseni okumangalisayo kokuzinza, abasebenzi bangalinganisa uhlamvu lwemali luqonde phezulu endlini ye-turbine ngenkathi iyunithi isebenza, umsebenzi owenziwe waba nokwenzeka ngokuvala ukuphambuka kwe-axis kuma-micrometer angu-20-30 kuphela, okudlula kakhulu izinga likazwelonke.
Umphumela wala mayunithi uyamangalisa ngokufanayo. Ukujikeleza okukodwa kwe-turbine eyodwa kukhiqiza ugesi ongu-150 kWh. Isebenza ngokugcwele ihora elilodwa, iyunithi eyodwa ikhiqiza ugesi ongu-1 million kWh, okwanele ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zikagesi zonyaka zemindeni engaba ngu-400 evamile. Lapho wonke amayunithi angu-16 esebenza, isilinganiso samandla kagesi salesi siteshi sonyaka sifinyelela cishe ku-62.4 billion kWh, esikwazi ukusekela ukusetshenziswa kukagesi kwabantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezingu-75 ngonyaka.
Ukunika Amandla Ikusasa Eliluhlaza
Ukubaluleka kweBaihetan kudlulela ngale kwalesi sihosha esikude. Kuyisixhumanisi esibalulekile kuphrojekthi yaseShayina ethi “West-East Power Transmission”, ethumela ugesi ohlanzekile ongamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-2,000 ukuze kufakwe amandla ezikhungweni zomnotho eMfuleni iYangtze, okuhlanganisa amadolobha afana neJiangsu neZhejiang. Lawa mandla ahlanzekile abalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwesifunda, ngisho nokunikeza amandla imicimbi emikhulu njengeHangzhou Asian Games.
Okubaluleke kakhulu, iBaihetan ijoyina amanye amaphrojekthi amakhulu amahlanu—iXiluodu, iXiangjiaba, iWudongde, iThathu Gorges Dam, kanye neGezhouba—ukuze bakhe umzila wamandla ahlanzekile omkhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni eMfuleni iYangtze. Lo mzila, onekhono elifakiwe elingu-71.695 million kilowatts, ukhiqiza isilinganiso sama-300 billion kWh ngonyaka, okulingana nokusetshenziswa kukagesi kwabantu abayizigidi ezingu-300 unyaka wonke. Ngokufaka esikhundleni samafutha emvelo, iBaihetan yodwa isiza ukonga cishe amathani ayizigidi ezingu-19.68 amalahle ajwayelekile futhi inciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-carbon dioxide ngamathani ayizigidi ezingu-51.6 minyaka yonke, okwenza umnikelo omkhulu ekulweni nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu emhlabeni jikelele.
Umbono Ohlala Njalo
Ukushiya amahholo angaphansi komhlaba bese ubuyela ekukhanyeni kwelanga, ubukhulu bomzamo womuntu eBaihetan buyangena. Kungaphezu nje kweqoqo lamarekhodi omhlaba—ngobukhulu, ubunzima bezobuchwepheshe, kanye nomthamo weyunithi yokukhiqiza. Kuwuphawu lwalokho okungafezwa ngokubekezela, ukusungula izinto ezintsha, kanye nokuzibophezela eplanethini ehlanzekile. Ukubona ichibi elizolile elibekwe ezintabeni eziqinile kuyisikhumbuzo esinamandla sokuthi lo “msebenzi omkhulu” awugcini nje ngokusebenzisa amandla emvelo kodwa ukwenza kanjalo ngenhlonipho ejulile yokunemba kanye nokusimama, ukukhanyisa indlela eya ekusaseni elihlanzekile neliqhakazile kubo bonke.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Novemba-07-2025
