China starts construction on world's largest hydroelectric dam

China's new mega hydropower project is made up of five cascade hydropower stations, located downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River - where the river drops 2,000m in just 50km.

A view of the Three Gorges Dam. Photo: People Daily .

Xinhua News Agency reported on July 21 that Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the start of construction of the world's largest hydroelectric dam, located on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, with an estimated cost of at least $170 billion .

This mega project is made up of five cascade hydroelectric stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by the entire UK in 2024.

The dam will be located downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River, a 50km-long, 2,000m-gradient stretch of river that offers huge hydropower potential.

Immediately after the news was announced, India and Bangladesh expressed concerns about the impact of this hydroelectric dam on millions of people living downstream, while NGOs warned of risks to one of the most diverse and rich environments on the plateau.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said such a giant dam just 50km from the border could dry up 80% of the river flowing through India, in addition to potentially flooding downstream areas in Arunachal and neighbouring Assam.

Beijing, in turn, says the dam will help meet electricity needs in Tibet and the rest of China without significantly affecting downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected to begin in the 2030s.

It is also China's largest project since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. According to Chinese media, the Three Gorges Dam took nearly two decades to complete and has created nearly one million jobs.

Source: https://znews.vn/trung-quoc-khoi-cong-dap-thuy-dien-lon-nhat-the-gioi-post1570751.html