dam hydroelectric dam spans town located province china world largest power station terms installed capacity dam generated electricity setting new world record previously held brazil border power plant resumed lead annual worldwide production producing production ship lift dam project completed fully functional july main water turbines underground plant began production ship lift complete december main water turbine capacity dam body completed dam main turbines smaller generators power plant total electric generating capacity dam producing electricity dam intended increase shipping capacity reduce potential floods downstream providing flood storage space chinese government regards project historic engineering social economic success design state art large turbines limiting greenhouse gas emissions dam flooded archaeological cultural sites displaced million people causing significant ecological changes including increased risk landslides dam controversial topic domestically abroad history large dam originally envisioned stated dam capable generating million horsepower possible downstream nationalist government led began preliminary work plans japanese military forces occupied surveyed area design plan completed dam anticipation japanese victory china chief design engineer surveyed area drew dam proposal chinese engineers went training original plans called dam employ unique method moving ships ships locks located lower upper ends dam cranes cables ships lock case smaller water craft groups craft lifted efficiency known solution considered water saving performance engineers thought difference height river dam great alternative methods exploration survey economic study design work government midst chinese civil war halted work communist takeover supported project began dam project nearby economic problems including great leap forward cultural revolution slowed progress authored swimming poem fascination dam engineers spoke project imprisoned 1980s idea dam approved dam delegates voted favour voted members vote construction started december dam expected fully operational additional projects underground power plant additional generators delayed operation ship lift completed dam raised water level reservoir sea level end designed maximum level october composition dimensions concrete steel dam long dam metres sea level project million cubic metres concrete mainly dam wall tonnes steel build towers moved million cubic metres earth concrete dam wall metres high rock basis water level maximum metres sea level metres higher river level downstream dam reservoir average kilometres length kilometres width contains acre water total surface area square kilometres completion reservoir flooded total area square kilometres land compared square kilometres reservoir created economics government estimated project cost billion billion end spending reached billion billion spent construction billion relocating affected residents billion financing estimated construction cost recovered dam generated hours electricity yielding billion cost recovery expected occur years dam starts operation december cost project recovered funding sources include profits loans loans domestic foreign commercial banks corporate bonds revenue dam fully operational additional charges assessed follows province receiving power pay extra provinces pay additional charge pays power generation distribution generating capacity power generation managed listed subsidiary central enterprise administered world largest capacity hydroelectric power station generators main generators capacity plant power generators capacity making total capacity main generators installed north dam south remaining underground power plant mountain south dam expected annual electricity generation generators main generators weigh tonnes designed produce power designed head generator meters flow rate varies cubic metres second depending head available greater head water needed reach power uses francis turbines turbine diameter design design rotation speed revolutions minute rated power maximum power factor generator produces electrical power outer diameter generator inner diameter biggest kind height bearing load tonnes average efficiency reaches generators manufactured joint ventures includes chinese company includes general_electric abbreviated chinese company technology transfer agreement signed contract generators water cooled newer ones air cooled simpler design manufacture easier maintain generator installation progress north main generators operation started july north completely operational september implementation generator power reached october water level reached south main generators operation began operation june started october sixth began operation december raising capacity finally surpassing world largest power plant capacity underground main generators operation main generator finished final test raising capacity years construction installation testing power plant fully operational output august plant generated electricity july generated electricity month june river flow rate increased generators switched producing head available flood season insufficient august flood plant reached maximum output short period november dry season power output limited river flow rate seen right flow power output limited plant generating capacity maximum power output curves calculated based average flow rate dam site assuming water level plant gross efficiency actual power output obtained based monthly electricity sent grid reached design maximum reservoir water level time october intended annual power generation capacity realized dam generating units generated record electricity accounts china total generation distribution grid paid flat rate july price varied province higher paying customers receive priority shanghai provinces cities consume power dam power distribution transmission infrastructure cost billion construction completed december year ahead schedule power distributed multiple transmission lines direct current lines grid carry shanghai alternating current lines grid total capacity transmission line grid capacity dam expected provide china power electricity demand increased quickly previously projected fully operational average supports electricity demand china year chinese electricity demand reached environmental impact emissions according grams coal produce electricity power reduces coal consumption million tonnes year avoiding million tonnes greenhouse gas emissions millions tonnes dust million tonnes dioxide tonnes tonnes carbon significant mercury saves energy needed wash transport coal northern china power production million tonnes standard coal reducing carbon dioxide million tonnes dioxide million tonnes nitrogen tonnes dam increased barge capacity reducing carbon dioxide tonnes total million tonnes goods passed ship locks compared barges reduced carbon dioxide million tonnes lowered costs erosion hazards uniquely identified dam projections agreed dam sits seismic fault current levels land area experiencing erosion million tons sediment flow slower dam sediment settle instead flowing downstream sediment downstream absence downstream effects expect downstream vulnerable flooding shanghai away rests massive plain arriving long arrive bed shanghai built arriving sediment vulnerable biggest chinese cities benthic sediment buildup causes biological damage reduces aquatic biodiversity earthquakes landslides erosion reservoir induced rising water causes frequent major landslides led noticeable disturbance reservoir surface including incidents cubic metres material flooded months significant landslides waste management dam improved upstream treatment suburban areas according april new plants treat million tonnes day total need added handle tonnes solid waste day billion tons released annually river likely swept away reservoir created left water looking forest cover area 1950s research research suggested overall gain km2 forest turnaround km2 net loss forest year 1990s main reason china huge effort accelerated floods convinced government restore tree cover especially basin upstream wildlife concerns potential wildlife impact dam approval region long known rich biodiversity home species plants belong families genera plant species percent endangered rare species ingredients traditional chinese percentage forested area region surrounding dropped percent percent negatively affecting plant species locality region provides habitats hundreds freshwater terrestrial animal species freshwater fish especially affected dams changes water temperature flow regime fish hurt turbine blades hydroelectric plants particularly detrimental ecosystem region basin home different fish species accounts seven percent endangered freshwater fish species china aquatic species endangered dam particularly chinese river extinct fact government chinese scholars claim directly caused extinction remaining critically endangered crane large number currently spend winter wetlands destroyed dam contributed functional extinction river close level start construction dam decreased habitat increased ship travel factors causing ultimate demise addition populations guaranteed negatively affected dam floods agriculture industry important function dam control flooding major problem seasonal river millions people live downstream dam large important cities like shanghai situated adjacent river plenty farm land china important industrial area built river reservoir flood storage capacity cubic kilometres acre capacity reduce frequency major downstream flooding years years dam expected minimize effect super flood river flooded km2 killing people forcing people flood covered city million people months railway service days flood carried cubic kilometres water dam divert water leaving diverted dam protect large tributaries downstream including flood area caused dollars damage km2 farm land flooded flood affected million people killing early august largest flood years passed dam site dam limited water flow cubic metres second raising upstream water level metres august august cubic kilometres flood water captured river flow cut cubic metres second dam reservoir dry season december march year increases flow rate river downstream provides fresh water agricultural industrial usage improves shipping conditions water level upstream drops preparing rainy season water powers dam downstream filling reservoir supplied extra cubic kilometres fresh water downstream cities farms dry season floods july reached peak exceeding peak dam reservoir rose nearly hours reduced outflow downstream effectively impacts middle lower river navigating dam locks installation ship locks intended increase river shipping million million tonnes annually result transportation costs cut shipping safer dangerous navigate ships deeper draft able navigate kilometres upstream shanghai way expected shipping increase series ship locks installed near dam stages transit time hours maximum vessel size tons locks long wide deep longer lawrence half deep dam constructed maximum freight capacity site million tonnes year total million tonnes freight passed locks freight capacity river increased times cost shipping reduced total capacity ship locks expected reach million tonnes year locks staircase locks inner lock gate pairs serve upper gate lower gate gates vulnerable type damaged temporarily render entire flight separate sets locks upstream downstream traffic system water efficient directional staircase locks ship lift addition canal locks ship lift kind elevator vessels ship lift lift ships tons vertical distance traveled metres size ship lift basin metres ship lift takes minutes transit opposed hours stepping locks factor water level vary dramatically ship lift work water levels vary meters lower metres upper ship lift design uses gear system climb descend toothed rack ship lift complete rest project officially opened november reported local media construction ship lift started october february reported towers support ship lift completed report said towers reached metres anticipated metres towers completed june entire ship lift expected completed july tested december announced complete january german firm designed ship lift said vessel hour transit lift article says actual time lift minutes says expected dimensions tonnes passenger vessels ship lift basin designed carry metres metres metres railways plans exist construction short railways bypassing dam area altogether short rail lines river constructed kilometer long northern railway run port facility northern upstream dam east railway station port facility kilometer long southern railway run upstream dam railway late preliminary work started future railway routes relocation residents june china relocated million residents ending cities towns villages flooded partially flooded reservoir province million million population residents relocated provinces relocation completed july reports claimed encourage additional million people away dam main urban area municipal government explained relocation dam people involved included areas municipality allegedly funds relocating farmers disappeared sent local government leaving residents compensation effects culture aesthetics long reservoir flooded archaeological sites altered appearance water level rose cultural historical relics moved higher ground discovered flooding inevitably covered relics sites moved location size design example hanging site high cliffs national security reported taiwan proponents strikes mainland apparently hope merely presenting credible threats china urban population high value targets deter chinese military notion military taiwan seek destroy dam provoked angry response mainland chinese media general quoted saying seriously guard threats taiwan independence terrorists gorge dam steel concrete gravity dam water held innate mass individual dam sections result damage individual section affect parts dam sheer size dam expected withstand tactical nuclear strikes structural integrity days filling reservoir cracks observed dam structure submerged gates dam pose risk similar severely damaged poorly designed state arizona unable properly withstand colorado river floods concrete units dam passed quality testing design limits experts group gave project overall good quality rating upstream dams order maximize utility cut upper course authorities plan build series dams including dam completed dams total capacity dams double capacity preparing construction seeking government approval dams upstream
Three Gorges Dam