China has approved the construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam, initiating a significant project on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau that may impact millions living downstream in India and Bangladesh.
The dam, situated in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, is projected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, according to estimates by the Power Construction Corp of China in 2020. This output would more than triple the Three Gorges Dam’s designed capacity of 88.2 billion kWh, currently the largest dam in the world, located in central China.
The project is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals, boost industries such as engineering, and create employment opportunities in Tibet, according to the Xinhua news agency.
A section of the Yarlung Zangbo drops an extraordinary 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) over just 50 kilometers (31 miles), presenting enormous hydropower potential alongside significant engineering challenges.
The total cost, including engineering and construction, is anticipated to surpass the 254.2 billion yuan ($34.83 billion) spent on the Three Gorges Dam. That project, which displaced 1.4 million people, ended up costing more than four times its original estimate of 57 billion yuan. Officials have not disclosed the number of people who might be displaced by the new project or its impact on the local ecosystem, considered one of the most biodiverse regions on the plateau.
Chinese authorities assert that hydropower projects in Tibet, which accounts for over a third of the country’s hydroelectric potential, would have minimal effects on the environment or water supplies downstream. However, India and Bangladesh have expressed concerns about the dam’s potential to alter the river’s flow and course, potentially affecting the local ecology.
As the Yarlung Zangbo exits Tibet, it transforms into the Brahmaputra River, flowing south through India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states before reaching Bangladesh. While China has already begun hydropower generation on the river’s upper reaches, it is planning additional projects further upstream.
