News about Three Gorges Project

News about Three Gorges Project – Introduction of Three Gorges Project

The Three Gorges Project is the shortened form of Yangtze River Three Gorges Water Conservancy Hub Project. It mainly refers to build a dam on the Xiling Gorge part on the Yangtze River, and use the 600 kilometers long river course from Chongqing to Yichang (including Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge) to form a giant reservoir, and reach the aims of flood control, electricity generation and navigation.

The Three Gorges Project is located on the middle part of the Xiling Gorge, and the site of the dam is Sandouping in Yichang, Hubei Province.

The Three Gorges Project consists of the dam, hydropower station, navigation buildings three parts. The dam is located on the middle part of the river bed, which was the main river channel. And the both sides are the hydropower station dam and non-spillway dam. And the factories of the hydropower station are behind of the hydropower station dam on the both banks.

The needed investment of Three Gorges Project was over 90 billion RMB (based on the price level in 1993). Among the investment, the hub project is 50 billion RMB, and the immigration project is 40 billion RMB. In consideration of the commodity price, interests and some other factors, the varying needed investment is 203.9 billion RMB.

The whole Three Gorges Project was divided into three stages, and total construction duration is 17 years. The first stage project is five years (1993 – 1997), mainly work on filling cofferdam, digging diversion channel and so on. The second stage project is six years (1997 – 2003). The main task of this stage is to build second stage cofferdam, construct the hydropower station facilities on the left bank and install machine sets. The third stage is six years, mainly focus on the construction of right bank dam and hydropower station.

News about Three Gorges Project – Benefits of Three Gorges Project

The Three Gorges Dam is 185 meters high. The normal water impounding level is 173 meters, and total volume is 39.3 billion cubic meters. The hydropower station is installed 16 machines and total capacity is 1.820 million KW, and annual generating capacity is 84.7 billion KWH. After the Three Gorges Project completed, it will have effect on flood control, power generation, navigation, cultivation, environment protection, development immigration, irrigation and some other aspects. The construction of Three Gorges Project created advantages for the development of Yangtze River economy. It makes the advantages and features of every area in Yangtze River Basin more obvious. It laid foundation for building business corridor along the river, developing agriculture and promoting rural economy development in the Yangtze River Basin.