Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant

Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant – Brief Introduction

Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant is also called Three Gorges Project and Three Gorges Dam. It is located on the main stream of Yangtze River between Chongqing and Yichang. Three Gorges Dam is situated at Sandouping, a place not far from Yichang. It was started to be built in 1994 and be completed in 2009.

Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant is the largest hydroelectric plant in the world. It is also the biggest project in the history of China. It attracts great attention all over the world since it caused a lot of problems, such as the relocation of the people at Three Gorges Reservoir Area and the environment. Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant collects a lot of comprehensive benefits, including water impoundment, electricity generating, drought resisting and navigation.

Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant - Data

Three Gorges Dam is 185 meters high and the water storage level is 175 meters. Three Gorges Reservoir extends more than 600 kilometers. Three Gorges Dam involved an investment of 95.46 billion RMB. 32 generating units with an installed capacity of 0.7 million kilowatts were installed at Three Gorges Dam. The total installed capacity of Three Gorges Dam reaches 22.5 million kilowatts and it generates about 100 billion kwh of electricity annually. Its annual capacity is 4 times more than the annual capacity of Gezhou Dam and is 9 times more than that of Dayawan Nuclear Plant. It has been the biggest hydroelectric plant in the world. The construction and operation of Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant mark that Chinese people created another wonder with their intelligence and power.

Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant – Matter of Sediment

It is measured that there is about 1.2 kilograms of sediments in every one cubic meters from upper reaches of Yangtze River. There are more than 0.5 billion tons of sediments flow through Three Gorges Dam annually. Before the construction of Three Gorges Dam, most of the sediments deposited at winding Jingjiang River and raised the riverbed and its water level. That threats to the safety of Jianghan Plain and Dongting Lake Plain.

After the construction of Three Gorges Dam, the sediments would deposit in Three Gorges Reservoir, especially deposited at Three Gorges Dam. Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant would adopt relevant measures to deal with the sediment. It will increase the discharge of water in the flood season and store the clean water in the dry seasons since there would be more sediment in the water during the flood season.