Approval Granted for the World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dam

China has given the green light to the construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam, expected to generate nearly three times the electricity of the current record-holder, the Three Gorges Dam.

Location and Purpose of the Dam

The dam is planned for the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, near the Indian border, with an estimated cost of $137 billion. It is part of China’s 14th “Five-Year Plan,” which aims to boost renewable energy and combat pollution. The location takes advantage of the river’s steep terrain to harness an unprecedented amount of hydropower, generating up to 300 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

This energy output is equivalent to 300 terawatt-hours (TWh), enough to power 300 million people in China.

Currently, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River holds the world record for installed capacity and annual hydroelectric generation, producing between 95 and 112 TWh each year. If completed, the Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric Project would surpass that output by almost three times.

U.S. Hydroelectric Plants Comparison

For comparison, the largest hydroelectric plant in the U.S., the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington, produces around 20 TWh annually. The Hoover Dam, on the Nevada/Arizona border, generates just 4.2 TWh per year.

The Yarlung Zangbo River, which becomes the Brahmaputra River in India, is one of the highest rivers globally, originating from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet. The river is partially responsible for carving the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, one of the deepest canyons on Earth, which reaches 19,714 feet (6,009 meters) at its deepest point. The canyon spans 313.5 miles (504.6 km), making it longer than the Grand Canyon.

Ideal Site for Hydroelectric Power Plant

The Yarlung Zangbo River drops approximately 25,152 feet (7,667 meters) from its highest point to India, making it one of the richest rivers in the world for hydropower potential. A 31-mile (50 km) section near the Namcha Barwa mountain features a 6,562-foot (2,000-meter) drop, which makes it an ideal site for a hydroelectric plant.

Building the dam at this location would require the construction of 12.5-mile (20 km) tunnels to divert the river, which flows at a rate of 70,600 cubic feet per second (2,000 cubic meters)—enough to fill three Olympic swimming pools per second.

Concerns from India

However, Indian officials have raised concerns about China controlling the river’s flow and the potential impacts downstream. Chinese authorities have conducted extensive geological studies of the seismically active area and are confident that they can complete the construction safely. They have not set a construction timeline yet.

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