Dec 26, 2024
China plans to construct the largest hydropower dam in the world in Tibet.
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China has given the green light for the construction of what will be the largest hydropower dam in the world, marking the start of an ambitious project on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau that could impact millions of people in India and Bangladesh downstream.
The dam, situated along the lower stretches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, is projected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, as estimated by the Power Construction Corp of China in 2020.
This output would be over three times greater than the designed capacity of 88.2 billion kWh of the Three Gorges Dam, which is currently the largest dam in the world located in central China.
The initiative is expected to be crucial in fulfilling China’s carbon peaking and neutrality objectives, boost related industries like engineering, and generate employment opportunities in Tibet, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
A section of the Yarlung Zangbo uniquely descends 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) within a brief distance of 50 km (31 miles), providing significant hydropower potential alongside distinct engineering challenges.
The estimated investment for the dam’s construction, including engineering costs, is anticipated to surpass that of the Three Gorges Dam, which amounted to 254.2 billion yuan (approximately $34.83 billion). This cost covered the resettlement of 1.4 million displaced individuals and exceeded the initial estimate of 57 billion yuan by more than four times.
Officials have yet to disclose the number of people who might be displaced by the Tibet project or its potential effects on the local ecosystem, known to be one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.
However, Chinese authorities assert that hydropower initiatives in Tibet, believed to hold over a third of China’s hydroelectric power potential, will not significantly harm the environment or downstream water supplies.
Despite this, India and Bangladesh have expressed worries regarding the dam, as the project could potentially disrupt not just the local ecosystem but also the river's flow and trajectory downstream.
As the Yarlung Zangbo exits Tibet, it transforms into the Brahmaputra River, flowing south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states, and eventually into Bangladesh.
China has already begun generating hydropower on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which flows from west to east across Tibet, and is planning additional projects upstream.
The dam, situated along the lower stretches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, is projected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, as estimated by the Power Construction Corp of China in 2020.
This output would be over three times greater than the designed capacity of 88.2 billion kWh of the Three Gorges Dam, which is currently the largest dam in the world located in central China.
The initiative is expected to be crucial in fulfilling China’s carbon peaking and neutrality objectives, boost related industries like engineering, and generate employment opportunities in Tibet, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
A section of the Yarlung Zangbo uniquely descends 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) within a brief distance of 50 km (31 miles), providing significant hydropower potential alongside distinct engineering challenges.
The estimated investment for the dam’s construction, including engineering costs, is anticipated to surpass that of the Three Gorges Dam, which amounted to 254.2 billion yuan (approximately $34.83 billion). This cost covered the resettlement of 1.4 million displaced individuals and exceeded the initial estimate of 57 billion yuan by more than four times.
Officials have yet to disclose the number of people who might be displaced by the Tibet project or its potential effects on the local ecosystem, known to be one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.
However, Chinese authorities assert that hydropower initiatives in Tibet, believed to hold over a third of China’s hydroelectric power potential, will not significantly harm the environment or downstream water supplies.
Despite this, India and Bangladesh have expressed worries regarding the dam, as the project could potentially disrupt not just the local ecosystem but also the river's flow and trajectory downstream.
As the Yarlung Zangbo exits Tibet, it transforms into the Brahmaputra River, flowing south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states, and eventually into Bangladesh.
China has already begun generating hydropower on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which flows from west to east across Tibet, and is planning additional projects upstream.