- The second-largest hydropower plant in te world has commenced generating electricity.
- The first two turbines of the dam will start generating power after a trial perood.
- When completed the plant will generate 16GSW.
The Baihetan hydropower plant in China has been brought online. The plant which started generating hydroelectricity on Monday is located on the Yangtze River. The plant is the second-largest in the world after the Three Gorges Dam also in China. According to Chinese media, the dam’s first two 1GW turbines will go into operation after a three-day trial. When completed next July, the dam will comprise 16 1GW units.
Baihetan was constructed by the China Three Gorges Corporation and was built in four years despite being one of the country’s most challenging engineering projects with a dam height of 289 metres. The sam was designed to produce electricity for the high energy-consuming regions on the eastern coast; control water flows during the heavy summer flood season. The Dam will also help regions meet the central government’s climate targets and reduce reliance on coal as an energy source. In addition, Sichuan province intends to construct 10 hydropower plants over the next five years and commence construction on seven others.
However, these hydropower projects have come under criticism from environmental groups as they state that the large-scale damming of the Yangtze and its tributaries has destroyed major habitats and damaged natural flood plains.