China has begun construction on what will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, a installation with an annual generation capacity of 300 billion kWh of electricity, almost three times the production of three gorges, the head of record since 2006.
First announced in 2020, the dam, called Motuo Hydroelectric Station, will be located in the Tibet Autonomous Region at the bottom of the Yarlung Tsangpo, the longest and most deep river guns in the world. Taking advantage of the lifting of 2,000 meters along a U -shaped bend of 50 km long, a part of the powerful river flow will be diverted to five cascading hydroelectric energy stations through four 20 km tunnels bored by Mount Namcha Barwa.
Although China has built several hydroelectric energy stations throughout the Yarlung Tsangpo for the last decade, the new project involves several topographic challenges, including its location along a limit of tectonic plates and a high risk of detachments in the strait and strong gorge.
However, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang greeted Motuo’s hydroelectric station as a “project of the century” at an innovative ceremony on July 19, according to local media. It is planned to start operating in 2033, the construction of the dam will be supervised by the Yajiang State Property Yajiang group. Most of the power generated will be distributed to other parts of the country.
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Despite the claims of the Chinese government that the dam is “a sure project that prioritizes ecological protection and increases local prosperity”, while reducing the use of fossil fuels in the country, the initiative has aroused concerns in neighboring countries on its possible effects downstream. When it flows south from the Tibetan Plateau to India, Yarlung Tsangpo becomes Brahmaputra and runs through the States of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before continuing to Bangladesh. Millions of people from both countries are based on watering, hydroelectric water and drinking water.
Despite calls from both countries for greater transparency on the long -term impacts of the Motuo hydroelectric station, China has repeatedly stated its right to build hydroelectric energy projects within its own borders. The news services cited a statement from July 21 of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that it had “made a necessary communication with downstream countries on hydrological information, flood control and disaster mitigation cooperation related to the Yarlung Zangbo project”.
