A new hydropower station became operational Friday in southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, as a first step to build a clean energy base in the plateau region.

The Laohuzui -- which translates into "tiger's mouth" -- hydropower station in Gongbo Gyamda County of Nyingchi Prefecture, about 343 km from Tibet's capital Lhasa, is designed to generate 2.5 million to 2.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity daily to supply Lhasa.

Construction began in 2007.

The 1.288 billion yuan (US$200 million) project has an installed capacity of 102 megawatts, said Ponwa, a deputy official in Nyingchi.

Several other hydropower stations have been built in Nyingchi Prefecture, including the 722.6-million-yuan, 40,000-kilowatt Xoka hydropower station, and the 25-billion-yuan, 3.78 million-kilowatt Songta hydropower station.

Nyingchi Prefecture has 77,000 hectares of rivers and lakes and at least 60 million kilowatts of hydropower reserves.