China starts construction on world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet
The dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.
HONG KONG - China's Premier Li Qiang announced the start of construction on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, located on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau and estimated to cost around US$170 billion (S$218 billion), the official Xinhua news agency said.
The project is part of
China's push to expand renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions .
Consisting of five cascade hydropower stations, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.
Mr Li described the hydropower project as a 'project of the century' and said special emphasis 'must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage', Xinhua said in its report on July 19.
The authorities have not indicated how many people the Tibet project would displace and how it would affect the local ecosystem, one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.
But according to Chinese officials, hydropower projects in Tibet will not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies. India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam.
Non-governmental organisations including the International Campaign for Tibet say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan plateau and that millions of people downstream will face severe livelihood disruptions.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise
Singapore Witness stand not arena for humiliation in sex offence cases, judge reminds lawyers
Asia PM Ishiba under siege after trouncing in Upper House polls as 'Japanese First' Sanseito gains
Business Bigger, quieter, greener: High-volume low-speed fans see rising demand in warming Singapore
Singapore New home owners in Singapore find kampung spirit on BTO Telegram groups
Singapore What would it take for S'pore to shed the dirty image of its blue recycling bins?
Business DBS hits record high above $47; CDL up after director Philip Yeo announces resignation
Business Singapore dollar faces downward pressure from US tariffs, expected policy shift
The dam is estimated to have a capacity of 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and is expected to help meet local energy demand in Tibet and the rest of China.
The project will play a major role in meeting China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, stimulate related industries such as engineering, and create jobs in Tibet, Xinhua said in December 2024, when the project was first announced.
A section of the Yarlung Zangbo falls a dramatic 2,000m within a short span of 50km, offering huge hydropower potential.
The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.
China has already started hydropower generation on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which flows from the west to the east of Tibet. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
a minute ago
- Business Times
Baht falls from highest since 2022 on conflict with Cambodia
[BANGKOK] Thailand's baht fell after touching the highest in more than three years on the escalating conflict with its neighbour Cambodia. The local currency fell 0.3 per cent to 32.29 per US dollar on Thursday (Jul 24) after touching 32.11 earlier, the strongest since February 2022. Stocks slid about 1 per cent. The baht had surged more than 6 per cent this year on growing optimism over trade negotiations, the return of foreign stock inflows and near-record high gold prices. Thai fighter jets hit two Cambodian army posts near their disputed border on Thursday, as troops clashed in multiple locations in an escalation of tensions between the two nations. 'The escalating border conflict is giving investors a reason to book some gains after the Thai baht has appreciated,' said Lloyd Chan, currency strategist at MUFG Bank. The conflict could put a pause in baht's rally this year. Sentiment was boosted earlier after Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said on Tuesday the nation is close to an agreement with the US to lower a threatened 36 per cent tariff on its goods ahead of the Aug 1 deadline, and expects a rate closer in line with regional neighbours. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The baht's gain is putting pressure on authorities to curb its strength to protect the nation's economic drivers of tourism and exports. 'Bank of Thailand will continue to watch for any excessive volatility,' said Christopher Wong, senior foreign-exchange strategist at OCBC in Singapore. A break of the resistance level at 32 to 32.1 baht per US dollar may add more tailwind to the currency, he said. Thailand's foreign-exchange reserves climbed to a record US$263 billion earlier in July, partly as officials stepped up their intervention to slow the baht's appreciation. Easing tensions between two of Thailand's largest trade partners – the US and China – are also soothing investor worries. Global funds have poured a net US$345 million into Thai equities in July, on track for the first monthly inflow in 10 months. On Wednesday alone, global funds poured in US$139 million into stocks, the largest single-day inflow in 10 months. The baht is also underpinned by near-record high gold prices, given the country's status as a major trading hub for the precious metal in Asia. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
31 minutes ago
- Business Times
First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October
[SINGAPORE] The first flats in two new housing estates – the Greater Southern Waterfront and Mount Pleasant – will be among 10 Build-To-Order (BTO) projects that will go on sale in October. An assisted-living project in Sengkang, which will be the fifth of its kind in Singapore, will also be on offer. The Housing Board will offer about 9,100 flats in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Yishun. The project on the site of the former Keppel Club in Bukit Merah, along Telok Blangah Road, will have about 870 units of two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats, and a pre-school. The upcoming blocks will be between 19 and 46 storeys high, and one of them will have rental flats. The development is located between Telok Blangah and Labrador MRT stations. It will kickstart the development of the Greater Southern Waterfront and will form part of 6,000 HDB flats and 3,000 private homes that will be built there. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Property analysts said the project could fall under the Prime category, given its location on the city fringe, and is expected to be highly sought after. Plus and Prime flats, which are closer to the city centre, transport nodes and amenities, come with stricter resale conditions, such as a 10-year minimum occupation period and a subsidy clawback, unlike Standard flats. Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion Group, expects high demand for the flats at the Greater Southern Waterfront as there is a lack of affordable housing in the area. 'Previously, Singaporeans intending to reside in the area would have to purchase resale condominiums, which may price out the middle-income Singaporeans,' she said. Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at real estate agency Huttons Asia, also expects the project to be popular among flat applicants, as units on the top floors may have unblocked sea views. A second BTO project in Bukit Merah is a 1,020-unit development along Jalan Bukit Merah and Redhill Close. It is about a 10-minute walk to Redhill MRT station. Analysts also expect this project to fall under the Prime category as many amenities, such as hawker centres, supermarkets, coffee shops and a polyclinic are located nearby. In Toa Payoh, a 1,350-unit project comprising two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats will be built in the new Mount Pleasant housing estate, along Thomson Road. The development will have a pre-school, eatery, supermarket and shops. Two of its blocks will be integrated with public rental flats and one block will have rental units only. It is a five-minute walk from the future Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. The project is the first of six BTO projects to be built in the 33ha estate on the site of the Old Police Academy, which will house about 5,000 flats. A view of the new Mount Pleasant housing estate on the site of the Old Police Academy on Mar 5. PHOTO: ST Analysts expect the Mount Pleasant project to be classified as Prime. Sun said the project could see strong interest from families as it is located close to schools like Raffles Girls' School, Raffles Institution, CHIJ Primary and Secondary schools and SJI International School. In Sengkang, a site bounded by Fernvale Street and Fernvale Link will house 830 two-room flexi, four- and five-room flats near Kupang LRT station. It will also have 200 community care apartments, which come with senior-friendly fittings such as wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, as well as health and community services that are meant to help seniors live independently. In Bishan, about 530 units of two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats will be built along Street 12, less than 10 minutes on foot from Bishan MRT station. In Ang Mo Kio, HDB is set to launch a 1,420-unit project comprising two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats. It will be built along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, and the site is about 1km from Yio Chu Kang MRT station. ITE College Central and Nanyang Polytechnic are in the vicinity. Wong Siew Ying, head of research and content at property agency PropNex Realty, said she expects the Bishan and Ang Mo Kio projects - which could be classified as Plus flats - to draw healthy interest as previous BTO projects in the two towns were oversubscribed. Two projects in Bedok and Jurong East are the only ones in the upcoming launch that will have all flat types on offer: two-room flexi, three-, four- and five-room flats as well as three-generation units. The 850-unit project in Bedok will be built along Chai Chee Street. The nearest MRT station is Kembangan, about 1.5km away. In Jurong East, the 620-unit project will be bounded by West Coast Road and Jurong Town Hall Road. It is near a future MRT station on the Jurong Region Line. Two projects in Yishun will offer a combined 1,370 flats. The larger one with 810 units is located in Chencharu, an upcoming HDB residential area. Situated along Chencharu Link and Bah Soon Pah Road, the development is adjacent to Peiying Primary School and Naval Base Secondary School. Khatib MRT station is a 10-minute walk away. The other project, which has 530 units of two-room flexi and four-room flats, is bounded by Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Street 31. In October's sales exercise, a total of about 2,890 two-room flexi flats will be on sale. This is the largest supply of such flats offered in a BTO exercise since the introduction of the two-room flexi scheme in November 2015, noted Wong. 'The higher supply will help to cater to demand for such units among first-timer singles,' she said. The Mount Pleasant project will offer 540 two-room flexi flats, the largest in the upcoming launch. THE STRAITS TIMES
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
China says ‘deeply concerned' over deadly Cambodia-Thailand border clashes
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The conflict blazed up on July 24, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand. BEIJING - China said on July 24 it was 'deeply concerned' over deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand , which mark a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours. 'We are deeply concerned over the current developments (and) hope both sides can properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations,' foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. 'Good-neighbourliness and properly handling differences are in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides,' he said. The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples. The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight. The conflict blazed up on July 24, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes. At least one civilian has been killed and three others wounded. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: Death toll rises to at least 12 as Thailand, Cambodia clash in deadly border row Asia 9 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Boy, 15, charged after being caught with vapes 5 times; ordered to stay 2 years in S'pore Boys' Home Business MOM probing work injury claim flagged by late Sumo Salad boss Jane Lee: Dinesh Asia Half of KLIA Terminal 2 auto gates down with technical glitch, auto gates at other terminals unaffected Singapore What's key to a good life? Most Singapore residents choose emotional and mental well-being Singapore Over 2 years' jail for man who worked with wife to cheat her then boyfriend of $220k Asia South Korea police raid offices of BTS' agency Hybe over share probe Cambodia has long been a staunch ally of China, receiving billions of dollars in investments. Mr Guo said on July 24 that China would adopt a 'fair and impartial position' in the clashes, however. Beijing 'has and will continue to in its own way do its best to promote peace and dialogue, and play a constructive role in promoting the easing and cooling down of the situation', Mr Guo added. AFP
