Three Gorges Project is a grand engineering
to harness Yangtze River and exploit its hydropower potential. It is the largest
key water conservancy project in the world. It has comprehensive functions of preventing
floods, generating electricity and facilitating shipping.
The dam is located at Sandouping in Yichang city, Hubei province, 40 km upstream
from the existing Gezhouba water conservance hub. The reservoir's normal storage
level is 175 m, and it can hold water of 39.3 billion m. Three Gorges Project can
fundamentally relieve the flood threats of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze
River.
The capacity of Three Gorges Project is equivalent to ten 2 million kw thermal power
stations, and thus can ease the power shortage in Central and East China. It can
also improve navigational condition of the upper reaches of Yangtze River. After
its completion, 10,000-ton ships can reach Chongqing directly, reducing current
shipping costs by 35%. The link between the southwest and other regions will consequently
be strengthened by the project.
Do you know?
The Three Gorges Dam of Yangtze River is the biggest dam in the world. It is 2,309
m long and looks like a Great Wall, attracting tourists as a new landscape.
Reference data
The dam of Three Goreges is 185 m high. Its hydropower stations has a capacity of
18.2 million kw, with an annual generation capability of 84.7 billion kw. Now it
is the largest hydropower station in the world. Three Gorges Project began in December
of 1994 and was sheduled for completion in 17 years, and hence the name "trans-century
project".
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