I See through Everything

"Manager Han, what do you think of this valley?"

"Let me take a look." Han Zhendong picked up a pair of binoculars and carefully observed the valley’s boundaries, length, width, and height.

After observing for over ten minutes, he took out a small notebook, made a few measurements with his fingers, and jotted down a series of data.

Han Zhendong finished his calculations, then turned to Jiang Miao. "If we build a 50-meter-high dam on that small slope up ahead, not only can we minimize the amount of construction work, but we can also increase the vertical drop to around 70 meters. The maximum capacity of the remaining valley for a reservoir should be around 6.2 million cubic meters."

Jiang Miao examined the rough sketch the man handed him, nodding impassively as he looked it over.

’Clearly, Han Zhendong is a true professional. He could roughly calculate the general reservoir capacity even without professional tools, and the location he chose is perfect.’

He continued, "Next, we’ll need to look at the valley’s geological conditions. If there are no major issues, we can definitely build a small pumped-storage reservoir here."

Jiang Miao handed the notebook back to him and asked, "Manager Han, based on your proposed plan, what’s the approximate cost of this reservoir?"

"I can only give you a rough estimate, General Manager Jiang."

"Please, Manager Han. It’s good for me to have a ballpark figure."

"Based on a maximum capacity of 6.2 million cubic meters and a 70-meter vertical drop at the outlet, this reservoir could be fitted with a 250-megawatt hydroelectric generator unit. Right now, the total cost for a pumped-storage reservoir is roughly 5 to 6 million yuan per megawatt. You can do the math, General Manager Jiang."

Jiang Miao did a quick mental calculation.

The total cost would be around 1.25 to 1.5 billion yuan.

Jiang Miao had already anticipated this price; it was well within his expectations.

"Manager Han, what would the approximate timeline for this project be?"

Han Zhendong smiled and explained, "That depends. For a government-funded small pumped-storage reservoir project, it would take at least five to eight years. That’s because it has to go through the pre-feasibility study phase, feasibility study phase, various approval procedures, a planning and preparation period, the main construction period, the project completion period, and the final acceptance period."

"But since you’re a private company, some of the initial procedures can be simplified and shortened. The only phase that can’t be rushed is the main construction period, and its duration depends on the project’s complexity and scale. For reference, a small pumped-storage power station our company built previously took 48 months from the start of main construction to full operation. The installation and commissioning of the first generator unit alone took just 18 months."

Jiang Miao did the math in his head. ’So, about five years at the earliest.’

Han Zhendong nodded. "It could be even faster. The mountain here is quite solid. If the bedrock underneath is stable and firm, we could cut the amount of engineering work by more than half. I estimate it would only take about 40 months to become fully operational, and the costs could be reduced as well."

Now, Jiang Miao had a clear picture.

’As for the money, with Hailufeng Company’s current rate of profit, a price tag of over a billion is nothing to worry about.’

’Besides, the project will take at least 40 months. The payments definitely won’t be a lump sum. With an installment plan, there won’t be much pressure on Hailufeng Company’s cash flow.’

’As for getting a return on the investment, that all depends on how it’s utilized.’

’If I calculate it based on generating one billion kilowatt-hours a year at 0.3 yuan per kWh, the annual revenue would be around 300 million yuan. The investment could be recouped in four to five years.’

’But I have no intention of using the reservoir that way.’

’Using it purely as a pumped-storage reservoir would be an inefficient use of the land and water resources.’

’In my vision, the entire reservoir should be enclosed by a steel structure, turning it into a massive indoor farm. The top would be covered with solar panels to generate power, and the seawater inside could be sectioned off with large net pens.’

’The steel dome would provide shade, lowering the water temperature inside the reservoir. The electricity generated could then be used for refrigeration, creating an artificial cold-water marine environment within the reservoir.’

’This special environment would be perfect for farming salmon.’

’The farming density for salmon is 5 to 25 kilograms per cubic meter.’

’The reservoir’s maximum capacity is 6.2 million cubic meters. After accounting for the space needed for power generation and pumped storage, there would be about 2 million cubic meters left for salmon farming. That’s enough to raise 10,000 to 50,000 tons of salmon.’

’Currently, the landed price for salmon from Norway is between 110,000 and 130,000 yuan per ton.’

’Factoring in the market impact of domestic production, but also considering the enormous domestic consumer market, if Hailufeng Company were to mass-produce salmon, the wholesale price could be maintained at a minimum of 80,000 to 90,000 yuan per ton.’

’With a typical farming cycle for salmon being about three years...’

’This means the Bamboo Mountain and Sea Reservoir could generate 800 to 900 million yuan in revenue annually just from selling salmon.’

’With clear market prospects, vast capital, and the right technical support, a project like this is a guaranteed profitable investment.’

’And Hailufeng Company happens to meet all three of those conditions.’

’In fact, a salmon farming company from Norway is already planning to build a large, land-based indoor farm in China. The location seems to be in Zhejiang Province. By farming salmon locally, they can conveniently supply the Yangtze River Delta Region directly. Their key target markets are Shanghai and Hang City, which have large concentrations of Japanese residents.’

’If Hailufeng Company starts mass-producing salmon in the future, it will definitely be going head-to-head with this Norwegian company.’

’However, Hailufeng Company’s core market will definitely be the Pearl River Delta Region.’

’To reduce farming costs, the intake pipes shouldn’t draw warm water from the sea’s surface. Instead, they should draw cold water from the seabed. This would reduce the cost of cooling the seawater.’

’Even though this reservoir is a hydroelectric station with a massive array of solar panels on top, I should still save electricity wherever possible.’