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The world’s largest hydropower project could begin construction pretty soon following approval by Chinese officials. The ambitious project will be located on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau. The dam which will produce 300 billion kWh of electricity every year, poses a problem for nations downstream including India and Bangladesh. Located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the dam would produce more than triple the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest dam currently, located in central China which has a capacity of 88.3 billion kilowatt-hours.
Total Cost
The total estimated cost for the project currently stands at US$137 billion. It will play a key role in meeting the nation’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Furthermore, the project will stimulate related industries including engineering whilst creating job opportunities for Tibetan citizens. While the previously mentioned countries, India and Bangladesh, have expressed concern over the dam impacting downstream water supplies, China has argued that it will not have a major impact on the environment or on the water supplies. Authorities have not indicated how many people the Tibet project would displace and how it would affect the local ecosystem, one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.
Project Overview
Project Name: The Brahmaputra Dam Project
Total cost: US$137 billion
Location: eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau
Predicted capacity: 300 kilowatt-hours per year
Challenges with the World’s Largest Hydropower Project
China has recognized that there are also several engineering challenges that it faces whilst constructing the Brahmaputra Dam. The dam sits on a section of the Yarlung Zangbo that falls a hefty 2,000 metres within a short span of 31 miles. Whilst this offers huge hydropower potential, the site is located along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes frequently occur. According to Xinhua, the state official news agency, there have been thorough geological explorations and technical advancements. Further, a solid foundation has been laid for the science-based, secure and high-quaity development of the project. |
