News flash
- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has announced that construction has commenced on what will be the biggest hydro power project in the world on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the Tibetan Plateau.
- The move has raised concerns about water supply and environmental impact downstream in India and Bangladesh.
Li attended the Medog Hydropower Station groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi, a southeastern city in the Tibet autonomous region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. Beijing first announced plans for the dam in 2020 under its five-year plan, as part of a broader strategy to exploit the hydropower potential of the Tibetan Plateau.
Currently, the Three Gorges hydro project in China holds the record of the biggest hydro project in the world at 22500MW. Read more
The Medog Hydropower Station will have 60000 MW capacity – triple that of the Three Gorges Dam. The Chinese government authorized the dam’s construction in December 2024, with an estimated investment exceeding US$137 billion. The project is intended to be developed as a single-phase installation, with commercial operations planned for 2033.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
