China in 2021 plans to begin construction of a hydropower complex of several dams and a hydroelectric power station on the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The total capacity of the facilities will be about 60 GW.
The complex was included in the country's five-year development plan (2021-2025) as one of the largest projects in the energy sector in China. The construction area is located in a remote mountainous area, where there are no high-quality roads. A significant amount of underground work will also need to be carried out. The project will also require hydro-turbine and other equipment, unique in its parameters, and in large quantities, given the projected capacity of the complex.
Yarlung Tsangpo is the upper section of the Brahmaputra River, which flows from Tibet to India and Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra is considered the most mountainous river in the world. Its loop is at an altitude of almost 5000 m. For 1200 km, the river flows in Tibet, where the differences are not very large for the construction of a hydroelectric power station. But then it turns sharply to the south, breaking through the Himalayas and forming a huge turn. In this section of 300 km, the river falls about 2200 m, and the depth of the gorges reaches 6000 m. The water discharge in this section is about 16 000 m³ /s. Nature itself has created unique conditions for the construction of powerful diversion hydroelectric power plants.
It is worth noting that Brahmaputra feeds India with water from Tibetan glaciers, so Indians fear that the dam will give China additional opportunities for political bargaining in international relations.
Currently, the largest operating hydroelectric power plant in China and the world - "Three Gorges" - has an installed capacity of 22.5 GW.
Recall that the promising projects of Ukrhydroenergo - the construction of the Kakhovska HPP-2, the Kanevskaya PSPP and the third stage of the Dnestrovskaya PSPP consisting of 5-7 hydraulic units - were included in the list of priority investment projects for the state for the period until 2023, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
