100-Storey tall, to provide electricity to 30 lakh houses: China begins filling world’s tallest dam with…, it is located in…
Beijing: China’s ambitious Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Project is completed, and authorities have green-lighted the filling of water in the dam from May 1. Filling the reservoir is a big step towards the full commissioning of the massive dam. The world’s tallest dam is located in China-controlled Tibet and cost 36 billion yuan (4.9 billion US dollars). Construction of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Project started a decade ago. Now, after about 10 years, water has started filling it. It is expected to be fully operational in the coming time.
As per a report by the South China Morning Post, this dam will be used to generate electricity and prevent floods. The Suangjiangkou Hydropower Project includes, dams, power systems and flood discharge structures. This dam is being built on the Dadu River, which flows from the Eastern Tibetan Plateau to the Sichuan Basin.
The World’s Tallest Dam
The dam will be 315 metres (about 1,033 feet) high when fully completed. It will be as high as a 100-storey skyscraper, making it the world’s tallest dam. The current tallest dam is the Jinping-I Dam but the Suangjiangkou Hydropower Project will be 10 metres higher than that Jinping-I Dam.
China announced the successful completion of the first phase of water filling for a new dam, reaching a water level of 2,344 meters—80 meters above the river level. The dam’s reservoir boasts a capacity of 110 million cubic meters, eight times that of Hangzhou’s West Lake. The project’s first power-generating unit is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
How Much Electricity Will The Dam Generate?
According to the company, the dam, after completion, will have a 2,000 megawatt capacity, generating over 7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This is projected to power over 3 million households and reduce national coal consumption by 2.96 million tonnes.
China has a vast network of over 22,000 dams exceeding 15 meters in height, constructed primarily for flood mitigation, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation since the 1950s. This represents approximately half the global total. The majority of these structures are located in southwestern China, primarily on the Lancang, Yangtze, and Jinsha rivers.
News