China has approved the construction of a colossal hydropower project on Tibet’s longest river that could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
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The mega hydropower project, set to be built on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet autonomous region, presents unprecedented engineering challenges.
Total investment in the dam could exceed 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion), which would dwarf any other single infrastructure project on the planet.
The Yarlung Tsangpo flows across the Tibetan Plateau, carving out the deepest canyon on Earth and covering a staggering vertical difference of 7,667 metres (25,154 feet), before reaching India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra River.
The dam will be built in one of the rainiest parts of mainland China.
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The project is expected to generate nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. By contrast, the Three Gorges Dam, which now has the world’s largest installed capacity, was designed to produce 88.2 billion kWh.