The Three Gorge Dam Project

The facts and figures surrounding one of the most ambitions architectural projects in history make for some incredible reading.

Interesting Facts

Construction of the dam began in 1995 near Yichang; final completion of this massive structure is not scheduled until 2009.

The dam will have 2 main functions. Firstly, to help control the flooding of the Yangtze River Valley, and secondly, the three gorges (the Qutang Gorge, the Wuxia Gorge, and Xiling Gorge) will comprise to form the largest electricity generating facility in the world.

An astonishing 1/9th of China's total power output will be created by the huge hydroelectric compound.

Interesting figures:

• Over 102.6 million cubic metres of earth and stone will have been excavated to create the body of the dam.
• A massive 27.2 million cubic metres of concrete will be used.
• 354,000 tons of reinforced steel will support the concrete, giving the dam walls a firm skeleton.
• Dam height: 185 meters (607 feet).
• When complete, the Dam will be 2,309 metres in length (1.4 miles), divided into three distinctive parts. The centre will comprise of a 484-meter spillway section with 23 bottom outlets and 22 sluice gates. Two giant power stations will be situated to the immediate left and right of the spillway.
• The formation of this massive structure has been broken down into 3 distinctive phases.
• The first phase began in 1994 and ended in 1997, and concentrated on the initial diversion of the Yangtze River. The second phase, to raise the water level to 156 metres (511 feet) began in 1998 and ended in 2003, and saw the Dam begin to generate electricity. The construction of the Dam is now in it's final phase, which is to raise the water level a further 19 metres to 175 metres (574 feet), and commence full power generation.

Interesting facts: The future

• Upon completion, the average width of the resulting reservoir behind the Dam will be 1.1 kilometres (0.7 miles), while it will be 600 kilometres in length (370 miles).
• It will store around 39.3 billion cubic metres of water, with an elevated height of 175 meters above the Yangtze River's surface.
• Over 451 billion cubic metres of water will run off from the Yangtze River into the reservoir annually.
• The two power stations either side of the dam's central spillway will operate 26 of the world's largest turbine generators, generating 700 megawatts each. This totals 18,200 megawatts, or as much as 18 nuclear powers stations.
• In order to transmit the created electricity across almost all the Chinese mainland, fifteen 500,000-volt lines will be installed to run all around the country.
• Ship trade will be greatly aided by the addition of five shipping locks, which can handle 10,000 ton barges.
• Each shipping lock holds a one-stage vertical lift, capable of holding a 3,000-ton passenger or cargo vessel.
• It is expected that as a result of the entire project, river shipping through central Yangtze will rise from 10 million to 50 million tons annually, cutting transportation costs by 30-37 percent.

China Escorted Touring Holidays, China Tours & China Cruises.