The Baihetan hydropower station, the world's second largest in terms of total installed capacity, was officially put into use in southwest China, with two generating units in operation on Monday.

The new mega hydropower station stands on the Jinsha River, an upper section of the Yangtze.

With a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts, the Baihetan hydropower station in southwest China is equipped with 16 hydro-generating units, each with a capacity of one million kilowatts, the largest in the world.

The facility is an ultra-high double-curvature arch dam with a maximum height of 289 meters and an arc length of 709 meters.

The project has been undertaken by the China Three Gorges Corporation.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service