Three Gorges Dam
| Three Gorges Dam 三峡大坝 | |
|---|---|
The dam in September 2009 | |
| Country | China |
| Location | Sandouping, Yiling District, Hubei |
| Coordinates | 30°49′23″N 111°00′12″E / 30.82306°N 111.00333°E |
| Purpose | Flood control, power, navigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | December 14, 1994 |
| Opening date | 2003 |
| Construction cost | ¥203 billion (US$31.765 billion) |
| Owner(s) | China Yangtze Power (subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Yangtze River |
| Height | 181 m (594 ft) |
| Length | 2,335 m (7,661 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 40 m (131 ft) |
| Width (base) | 115 m (377 ft) |
| Dam volume | 27.2 million m3 (35.6 million cu yd) |
| Spillway capacity | 116,000 m3/s (4,100,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Three Gorges Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 39.3 km3 (31,900,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 1,084 km2 (419 sq mi) |
| Maximum length | 600 km (370 mi) |
| Normal elevation | 175 m (574 ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 2003–2012 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | Rated: 80.6 m (264 ft) Maximum: 113 m (371 ft) |
| Turbines | 32 × 700 MW 2 × 50 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 22,500 MW |
| Capacity factor | 45% |
| Annual generation | 101.6 TWh (366 PJ) (2018) |
The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: 三峡大坝; traditional Chinese: 三峽大壩; pinyin: Sānxiá Dàbà), officially known as Yangtze River Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project (simplified Chinese: 长江三峡水利枢纽工程; traditional Chinese: 長江三峽水利樞紐工程) is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River near Sandouping in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, central China, downstream of the Three Gorges. The world's 27th largest dam by reservoir volume, and the world's largest power station by installed capacity (22,500 MW), the Three Gorges Dam generates 95±20 TWh of electricity per year on average, depending on the amount of precipitation in the river basin. After the extensive monsoon rainfalls of 2020, the dam produced nearly 112 TWh in a year, breaking the previous world record of ~103 TWh set by the Itaipu Dam in 2016.
The dam's body was completed in 2006; the power plant became fully operational in 2012, when the last of the main water turbines in the underground plant began production. The last major component of the project, the ship lift, was completed in 2015. The dam, measuring 185 meters in height and 2,309 meters in width, significantly surpasses Brazil’s 12,600 MW Itaipu facility and is one of the world's largest hydroelectric plants.
Each of the main water turbines, state-of-the-art at their installation, has a capacity of 700 MW. Combining the capacity of the dam's 32 main turbines with the two smaller generators (50 MW each) that provide power to the plant itself, the total electric generating capacity of the Three Gorges Dam is 22,500 MW with minimal greenhouse gas emissions.
The dam enhances the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and provides flood control, helping to protect millions of people from severe flooding on the Yangtze Plain. Additionally, its hydroelectric power generation has helped fuel China's economic growth. As a result, the Chinese government considers the project a source of national pride and a major social and economic success. However, it is controversial domestically and abroad. Estimates of the number of people displaced by the dam's construction range from 1.13 million to around 1.4 million, and inundated ancient and culturally significant sites. In operation, the dam has caused some ecological changes, including an increased risk of landslides.
| Three Gorges Dam | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 三峡大坝 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 三峽大壩 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Three Gorges Great Dam | ||||||||||||||
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