Chapter 545: Large-scale infrastructure is the way to a strong country (first update, please subscribe)

If there is not enough coal, we can make up for it with hydropower.

Now that the supply of coal is becoming increasingly tight, let’s find ways to use sustainable renewable energy!

It is definitely unrealistic to develop solar energy in this era. We should live off the mountains and the water. Since Yingtian is close to the Xin'an River, let's just do something with the water!

So Zhu Xianhai chose hydropower directly.

In fact, even if Nanhua has entered the electric age to some extent, its power generation level is hard to describe. Nanhua's power supply mainly relies on thermal power. Unlike the steam turbine generator sets used in later thermal power stations, Nanhua uses steam generator sets. In terms of efficiency, steam engines are not suitable for power generation. Because slightly larger steam engines mostly use horizontal structures, the speed is usually not high, about one or two hundred revolutions per minute. The low-speed generator has low power generation efficiency, which directly leads to high power generation costs. Although the reliability of the steam engine satisfies the engineers, it is far inferior to the steam turbine. However, for the Ming Dynasty, which is determined to seize the forefront of steam engines, the process of steam turbines is too difficult, and it is not realistic to design and manufacture suitable steam turbines in the short term.

Affected by the coal supply, the coal supply of thermal power plants is now limited. In this case, hydropower has become the only option.

Of course, given the technological level of 1871, it was obviously not realistic to build a large hydroelectric power station on the Xin'an River. However, if a large one could not be built, a small one could be built. There was no need to build one. As early as the Spanish rule, many water mills or water tanneries were built on both sides of the La Plata River. What are their common characteristics?

It is the use of water power.

"...Fuller Flour Mill uses a water diversion canal to draw water from upstream. With the impact force formed by the difference in water levels, the water flow in the canal can drive two 50-horsepower Francis turbines. Currently, this flour mill..."

Without waiting for Fang Zhanbo to finish his introduction, Zhu Xianhai spoke directly.

“It’s this flour factory!”

A 50-horsepower turbine can be turned into a small hydroelectric power station with just a little improvement.

Although Emperor Zhu did not understand the technology of hydropower stations, at least he was very clear about the prospects of hydropower stations. Especially in South America, where coal resources are insufficient but water resources are abundant, developing hydropower is the best choice.

Let’s take the Itaipu Dam, once the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, as an example. Once it was built, the annual power generation of this hydroelectric power station alone reached an astonishing 90 billion kilowatt-hours.

Even if it is not possible to build such a huge power station in this era, we can still develop hydropower step by step from small to large.

In just half a month, the power room of Fuller Flour Mill underwent a radical change. The transmission belt driven by the turbine was eliminated, and the iron shaft directly drove a generator.

On August 3, 1871, as the sluice gates were lowered, the rotating water turbine drove the generator under the power of water.

When the indicator light came on, Zhu Xianhai spoke a little excitedly amid the applause of the crowd.

"From today on, we will use water power, this endless power, to bring us into a new era - the electric era!"

The era of electricity!

Electrification!

This is the core of the Second Industrial Revolution, and to a certain extent, it was the Ming Dynasty that pioneered this era - electric lights, generators, electric motors, including the current hydroelectric power stations, everything has been stamped with the imprint of the Ming Dynasty!

No matter how the world develops in the future, one thing is certain: the whole world cannot ignore that it was the Ming Dynasty that brought the world into the electrical age.

Of course, all this was built under the guidance of Zhu Xianhai. In the past ten years, Emperor Zhu played the role of inventor in many cases, but more often, he played the role of guide.

This guide is the one who will lead the way to the future and guide a suitable path for the development of Nanhua and Ming Dynasty.

The current hydroelectric power station is just one of them.

The Ming Dynasty won another world first - a groundbreaking invention, the hydroelectric power station!

Of course, this scene was completely captured by a movie camera. In fact, in the past half month, the royal photographer used a camera to record the construction process of the hydroelectric power station. It will eventually be edited into a documentary film, and then it will be played in the "cinema" to let people feel the great changes in the Ming Dynasty.

"We can first choose a suitable place on the tributaries of the Nanhe River to build a reservoir."

On the way out of the hydropower station, Emperor Zhu said directly.

Nanhe River, also known as Neuquen River, is currently the largest heavy industrial zone in the Ming Dynasty. Nanyuan City is located on the south bank of Nanhe River, which was also the "third line" determined by Zhu Xianhai.

"Reservoir? Why build a reservoir? There's no need for a reservoir on the South River."

As Minister of Industry and Commerce, Fang Zhanbo's first reaction was to oppose.

"As for storing water, doesn't the steel company already have a reservoir? There shouldn't be a shortage of industrial water!"

Although Fang Zhanbo was born a scholar, he has become a semi-expert in industry through studying in a professional school over the past ten years.

“It’s not a problem of industrial water use,”

Zhu Xianhai shook his head and said.

"On the one hand, building a reservoir is to meet future water demand, but more importantly, it is necessary to build a real hydropower station. The factory in Nanyuan definitely needs electricity supply, and a large amount of electricity supply. Building a real large hydropower station can not only guarantee the local power supply and provide cheap electricity to the factory, but also the surrounding farms also need reservoirs. Building a reservoir is very beneficial to both industry and agriculture."

Hydropower stations are not only used to generate electricity, they can also be used for irrigation. With the Nan River as the dividing line, the further south you go, the drier the area. Having a large reservoir can not only solve the problem of power generation, but also help farm production in the south.

Hydropower, irrigation, industry, agriculture... all of these are beyond Fang Zhanbo's understanding. After all, these concepts are far ahead of people's understanding of this era.

"And a large project like this can absorb the maximum amount of manpower!"

Emperor Zhu looked out of the car window and continued.

"Compared to letting immigrants work on farms, we prefer to let them work on construction sites. Through collective life, we can transform their minds and get rid of the undisciplined qualities in them. We can get them used to collective life and collectivism. Collective life can also change many of their bad living habits, thus completing the transformation of their minds. In this respect, construction sites are definitely a place to train people."

How can it not exercise people?

The construction sites in the Ming Dynasty were all managed in a semi-militarized manner. Working on the construction sites for a few years was equivalent to living in the army for a few years, and the mark left by that kind of collective life on them was indelible.

This is also the reason why as early as Nanhua, the company had the habit of sending people to the construction site to train for one or two years before recruiting workers.

Because those workers who have experienced long-term military management are easier to manage and more disciplined. Such people are of course more welcomed by factories than ordinary immigrants.

"In the past, we relied on building railways to absorb labor, but later, we will build hydroelectric power stations. A large hydroelectric power station will require at least 100,000 or even 200,000 workers, and this is a long-term project. It will take at least a few years to 10 years. Such a project can absorb a large number of new immigrants. By that time, the hydroelectric power station construction site will be our training camp and training school for immigrants. Moreover, the hydroelectric power station will become a new engine to stimulate industrial development!"

During the economic crisis in the 1930s, the United States built many hydroelectric power stations in order to create jobs and stimulate the economy.

Ultimately, those hydroelectric power stations not only attracted a large number of workers, but also further stimulated the development of the industrial economy in the United States and drove their economic recovery.

In fact, let alone the Americans, even Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party all chose large infrastructure including hydropower stations in order to solve employment problems and stimulate the economy.

The construction of large infrastructure not only provides a large number of jobs, but also consumes a large amount of construction materials and requires a large amount of equipment. Both these materials and labor need to be transported. This in turn stimulates the development of the transportation industry, which naturally creates a virtuous economic cycle.

It has promoted their economic development to a great extent, and the Ming Dynasty also needs its own large-scale infrastructure to drive the industry and economic development of the Ming Dynasty!

In this era, in the Ming Dynasty where infrastructure is backward, large-scale infrastructure is definitely the way to become a strong country.

As long as we can seize this opportunity and invest in industrial projects with relatively high returns such as railways and hydropower stations in the next 20 years, the industrial development of Ming Dynasty will not only add an ordinary engine, but also a rocket booster.

Just like the United States in another era, in the next 20 years, through the railway investment frenzy, the United States became the world's largest industrial power in just two decades.

Follow other people's paths and leave them with no way to go. This is the development direction of the Ming Dynasty!

How can we not learn from such successful and advanced experience?

Not only learn, but also innovate.

Hydropower station is a new breakthrough besides railways!

Whether it is railways or hydropower stations, they are all high-tech leading projects in this era. By developing them, we can not only drive the development of the Ming Dynasty's economy, but also promote the advancement of Ming Dynasty's science and technology.

But all this is just a vision, and there are more urgent things to be solved right now. Looking at the city outside the car, Zhu Xianhai said.

"Of course, everything is difficult at the beginning. Now we can build some small hydropower stations and accumulate some technology to prepare for future large projects. By the way, we can alleviate the current energy crisis!"

(End of this chapter)