Present Situation and Future Trends of River-Basin Cascade Hydropower Dispatch in China

Hydropower resources in river basins are typically developed in a cascade manner. The cascade hydropower stations use water from the same river; in a sense, they form a cluster of hydropower stations which are linked together by the river stream. The dispatch and management of the cascade hydropower stations in a river basin differ from those of an ordinary single hydropower station. Without doubt, unified dispatch can facilitate the full harnessing of hydraulic resources and is in a better position to fulfill the objectives in the development of river basin. As a result, more and more river-basin cascade power stations around the world implement unif ied dispatching.