Three Gorges Dam

Three Gorges Dam
Name	Three Gorges Dam
Location	Yichang, Hubei Province, Yangtze River
Coordinates	30°49′07″N 111°00′16″E
Status	Operational
Construction began	1994
Opening	2003–2012 (staged)
Owner	China Three Gorges Corporation
Dam type	Gravity, concrete
Height	181 m
Length	2,335 m
Reservoir capacity total	39.3 km3 (flood control active storage higher)
Plant capacity	22,500 MW
Plant commission	2003–2012

Three Gorges Dam is a large-scale hydroelectric gravity dam on the Yangtze River near Yichang in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. It was developed by China Three Gorges Corporation and commissioned in stages between 2003 and 2012 to provide flood control, navigation improvement, and major hydroelectric power generation. The project has been central to debates involving environmentalism, urbanization along the Yangtze, and national infrastructure policy under successive administrations including Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao.

Background and Planning

Planning traces to early proposals in the 1910s and studies by foreign engineers including Ralph Hartley and surveys influenced by expeditions such as those led by John Leighton Stuart. Mid-20th century interest resurfaced during the People's Republic of China industrialization drive under Mao Zedong and later feasibility reassessments in the 1970s and 1980s influenced by technical exchanges with firms from Soviet Union, United States, and France. Major policy endorsements came through national projects overseen by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and engineering planning by bodies such as the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research and international consultants including advisors from World Bank-era discussions. The final approval followed parliamentary ratification at the National People's Congress in 1992 amid debates involving provincial governments of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Hubei.

Design and Construction

The dam's design as a concrete gravity structure was developed by domestic firms and design institutes linked to the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power. Construction began with river diversion works in 1994, major cofferdam phases in 1997, and staged filling of the reservoir between 2003 and 2010, culminating in final turbine commissioning by 2012. Engineering contractors included state-owned groups affiliated with China Gezhouba Group Corporation and China Three Gorges Corporation subsidiaries; equipment suppliers involved manufacturers with histories supplying projects like Itaipu Dam and Aswan High Dam. Ancillary works encompassed ship locks comparable to locks on the Panama Canal, flood discharge tunnels, and a ship lift designed to improve navigation for vessels serving inland ports such as Wuhan and Chongqing.

Hydroelectric Power and Operations

With an installed capacity of 22,500 MW across multiple Francis turbines, the project overtook facilities such as Itaipu Dam to become one of the world's largest power stations by capacity. Operations are coordinated by China Three Gorges Corporation in concert with grid operators including State Grid Corporation of China to dispatch energy to load centers like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. The facility contributes to national targets for renewable energy expansion and carbon intensity reductions promoted in strategic plans like the Five-Year Plans and accords such as the Paris Agreement commitments. Ancillary peaking operations support regional grids and supply seasonal flood-control reserve through managed reservoir regulation.

Environmental and Ecological Impacts

Reservoir impoundment altered habitats along the Yangtze River basin affecting species documented in conservation programs such as those targeting Chinese river dolphin (baiji) and Yangtze sturgeon. Hydrological changes influenced sediment transport dynamics downstream to the Changjiang Estuary and coastal systems near Shanghai, interacting with projects on tributaries including the Jialing River and Han River. Environmental assessments referenced international case studies like impacts observed at Guri Dam and Kariba Dam while domestic mitigation involved resettlement of cultural heritage sites catalogued by agencies including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and salvage archaeology conducted with universities such as Peking University and Wuhan University.

Social and Economic Effects

The project required large-scale relocation affecting municipalities, counties, and townships leading to resettlement programs administered by provincial authorities and agencies including the State Council. Economic outcomes included increased navigation capacity to inland hubs such as Chongqing and expanded hydroelectric supply for industrial zones in Hubei and Sichuan, with investment flows from state banks including the China Development Bank. Social impacts spurred academic research at institutions like Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China on rural livelihoods, urban migration to cities like Wuhan and Chongqing, and compensation schemes linked to national social policy debates.

Safety, Sedimentation, and Maintenance

Long-term management addresses issues of sedimentation influenced by erosion upstream in basins such as the Loess Plateau and tributaries like the Han River. Monitoring programs employ techniques developed in projects such as Three Gorges Reservoir scientific campaigns and international collaborations with organizations like UNESCO and research centers at Chinese Academy of Sciences. Maintenance regimes cover turbine refurbishment, spillway operation, and geological surveillance of slope stability in reservoir-adjacent gorges monitored by geological institutes and provincial emergency bureaus. Flood safety protocols are integrated with national early warning systems and emergency response units including the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Controversies and Political Response

Controversies encompass debates over environmental degradation, cultural heritage inundation including sites on lists maintained by cultural authorities, resettlement adequacy, and risk assessments debated in media outlets and policy forums involving figures from provincial leadership to central planners. International reactions involved commentary from conservation NGOs and comparative studies referencing dams such as Glen Canyon Dam and Hoover Dam, while domestic political discourse engaged organs such as the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and sessions of the National People's Congress in discussions of infrastructure governance, transparency, and long-term strategic planning.

Category:Hydroelectric power stations in China Category:Dams in Hubei