Latest news with #YarlungTsangpo
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China is building the world's biggest hydropower dam. Why is India worried?
On the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau, China envisions a future powered by the roaring waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra). The river will be the site of a mega dam – the world's most ambitious to date – that promises to bring clean energy, jobs, infrastructure and prosperity to the region. Construction on the world's largest hydropower dam began on Saturday, according to Premier Li Qiang , who called it the 'project of the century'. But the project is not just about electricity and economic benefits – the stakes are far higher. Regional security, ecological stability and the future of one of Asia's great rivers all hang in the balance. How big is the mega dam? The dam will be situated in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo, where a section drops 2,000 metres (6,562 feet) over a 50km (31 miles) stretch, creating immense hydropower potential. The dam is reportedly located in Medog, a remote county in Nyingchi city in the Tibet autonomous region When completed, the project will overtake the Three Gorges Dam as the world's largest hydropower dam. It could generate three times more energy with five cascade hydropower stations – an estimated annual capacity of 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, more than Britain's total annual power output. It is estimated to cost around 1.2 trillion yuan (US$167 billion), dwarfing many of the biggest infrastructure undertakings in modern history at around five times the cost of the Three Gorges Dam and even more expensive than the International Space Station. China's new dam project in Tibet will overtake the Three Gorges Dam, shown here, as the world's largest hydropower dam. Photo: Xinhua Why is it important? The project was first announced in 2020 under China's five-year plan as part of a broader strategy to exploit the hydropower potential of the Tibetan plateau, with feasibility studies dating back to the 1980s. Beijing authorised the dam's construction in December 2024.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's mega dam project in Tibet sparks stock surge in hydropower, infrastructure sectors
China's construction of the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet has boosted related stocks, as analysts predict that infrastructure construction companies, energy developers, and power grid equipment manufacturers would benefit from the substantial investment into what Beijing calls the 'project of the century'. Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday announced the start of the project, situated on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh, state news agency Xinhua reported. The project features five cascade hydropower stations, with a total estimated investment of about 1.2 trillion yuan (US$167 billion) and an anticipated annual electricity generation capacity of 300,000 gigawatt-hours, according to Xinhua. This makes it the world's largest hydropower facility, with five times the investment and three times the capacity of China's current largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam. Stock prices in China's infrastructure construction and hydropower sectors surged when trading resumed on Monday following the announcement. Chinese Premier Li Qiang announces the commencement of the construction of the world's largest hydropower dam at a ceremony on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua Shares of Power Construction Corporation of China, a state-owned developer involved in the project, jumped 10 per cent to reach the daily limit on both Monday and Tuesday. Companies specialising in hydro equipment, such as Dongfang Electric, and cement firms, including Huaxin, also saw significant price gains on Monday.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
China starts building world's biggest hydropower dam
Construction of the world's biggest hydropower megadam has begun, China's premier has said, calling it the 'project of the century'. The huge structure is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, in Tibetan territory. Li Qiang made the comments on Saturday, at a ceremony in the region to mark the start of the build, leading Chinese markets to rise on the expectation of the long-planned megaproject, first announced in 2020 as part of China's 14th five-year plan. The dam has drawn criticism from India and Bangladesh, through which the river runs, as well as Tibetan groups and environmentalists. The project announced by Li is planned for the lower reaches of the river, according to the official state news outlet, Xinhua. Xinhua reported that the project would consist of five cascade hydropower stations, producing an estimated 300 million megawatt hours of electricity annually at a cost of about 1.2tn yuan (£124bn). In comparison, the Three Gorges dam cost 254.2bn yuan and generates 88.2m MWh. No further details were given about timing or scope of construction, but the figures reported by Xinhua exceed estimates from 2020. China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is operating a huge renewable energy expansion as it seeks to reach emissions reduction goals and stabilise its power supply. It has tens of thousands of hydropower projects, far more than any other country. The Yarlung Tsangpo megadam will reportedly harness the power created by the river dropping 2km in about 50km as it winds through a canyon on a U-shaped bend. India and Bangladesh have voiced concerns over the project, fearing the water could be held or diverted away from them. The Yarlung Tsangpo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh as the Jamuna river. Damming it could affect millions of people downstream. 'China can always weaponise this water in terms of blocking it or diverting it,' Neeraj Singh Manhas, special adviser for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, told the BBC in January. The Indian government formally registered its concerns with Beijing over the project in December, and during bilateral meetings between the two countries' foreign ministers in January. In response, officials have said China does not seek 'water hegemony' and never pursues 'benefits for itself at the expense of its neighbours'. 'China will continue to maintain current exchange channels with downstream nations and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and mitigation,' a foreign ministry spokesperson said in December. Tibetan groups have also noted the presence of sacred sites along the river, and the lack of information about potential population displacement. Other hydropower projects in Tibet have inspired rare protests, resulting in brutal crackdowns from authorities, according to activists. Last year hundreds of people were arrested while protesting against the Kamtok dam on the upper reaches of the Yangtze river, which they said threatened to displace thousands of residents and submerge ancient Buddhist monasteries. The Three Gorges Dam is estimated to have displaced about 1.5 million people. Environmentalists have also expressed concern about wildlife in the region, as well as the significant tectonic shifting, severe landslides and extreme geography where the dam is expected to go. The Chinese government rejects the criticism, and says the project will stimulate jobs in the region, increase domestic energy supplies and spur on development in the renewables sector. 'Special emphasis must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage,' Li said.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
China begins construction on world's largest dam in Tibet
Beijing: China's Premier Li Qiang announced that construction has begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, at the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau. The announcement was made at the ceremony on Saturday, as reported by the Chinese media. However, the planned dam has sparked concerns from India, Bangladesh and NGOs. Why does China want to build the dam? The Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is 2,900 kilometres long, starts in the Himalayas and winds through what is said to be the world's deepest land-based canyon. At one section, the river drops 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) in elevation within 50 kilometers (31 miles). China has cited expanding renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and economic goals in the Tibet region as reasons behind the estimated $170 billion (€147.4 billion) project. "The electricity generated will be primarily transmitted to other regions for consumption, while also meeting local power needs in Tibet," state media reported. The dam will reportedly consist of five cascade hydropower stations with capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year — equivalent to the amount consumed by the UK last and Bangladesh raise concerns As the Yarlung Tsangpo flows south, it becomes the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh. Millions rely on the river as a water source and for agriculture. Both countries have expressed concerns over the dam's impact on millions of people living downstream. NGOs have also warned of risks of irreversible damage to the ecologically sensitive plateau. In January, India's Foreign Ministry raised concerns with China, saying it will "monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests." The ministry stressed that China has been "urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas." A 2020 report from the Lowry Institute, an Australian think tank, reported that "control over these rivers gives China a stranglehold on the Indian economy." How has China responded to the concerns? Chinese authorities have not said how many people would be displaced by the construction of the Yarlung project. In December, China's Foreign Ministry said that the project would not have any "negative impact" downstream, adding that Beijing "will also maintain communication with countries at the lower reaches" of the river. This is not the first time geopolitical issues have been raised by rivers crossing international borders. The Yarlung Tsangpo dam is expected to be operational in the 2030s.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
China begins building world's largest dam, fuelling fears in India
Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh. Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a ceremony marking the start of construction on the Yarlung Tsangpo river on Saturday, according to local media. The river flows through the Tibetan plateau. The project has attracted criticism for its potential impact on millions of Indians and Bangladeshis living downriver, as well as the surrounding environment and local Tibetans. Beijing says the scheme, costing an estimated 1.2tn yuan ($167bn; £125bn), will prioritise ecological protection and boost local prosperity. When completed, the project - also known as the Motuo Hydropower Station - will overtake the Three Gorges dam as the world's largest, and could generate three times more energy. Experts and officials have flagged concerns that the new dam would empower China to control or divert the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states as well as Bangladesh, where it feeds into the Siang, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers. A 2020 report published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank, noted that "control over these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] effectively gives China a chokehold on India's economy". In an interview with news agency PTI earlier this month, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu expressed concern that the Siang and Brahmaputra could "dry up considerably" once the dam was completed. He added that the dam was "going to cause an existential threat to our tribes and our livelihoods. It is quite serious because China could even use this as a sort of 'water bomb'". "Suppose the dam is built and they suddenly release water, our entire Siang belt would be destroyed," he said. "In particular, the Adi tribe and similar groups... would see all their property, land, and especially human life, suffer devastating effects." In January a spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs said they had expressed concerns to China about the impact of mega-dams and had urged Beijing to "ensure the interests of downstream states" were not harmed. They had also emphasised the "need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries". India plans to build a hydropower dam on the Siang river, which would act as a buffer against sudden water releases from China's dam and prevent flooding in their areas. China's foreign ministry has previously responded to India, saying in 2020 that China has a "legitimate right" to dam the river and has considered downstream impacts. Bangladesh also expressed concerns to China about the project, with officials in February sending a letter to Beijing requesting more information on the dam. Chinese authorities have long eyed the hydropower potential of the dam's location in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It's in a massive canyon that is said to be the world's deepest and longest on land, along a section where the Yarlung Tsangpo - Tibet's longest river - makes a sharp U-turn around the Namcha Barwa mountain. In the process of making this turn - which has been termed "the Great Bend" - the river drops hundreds of metres in its elevation. Earlier reports indicated that authorities planned to drill multiple 20km-long tunnels through the Namcha Barwa mountain, via which they would divert part of the river. Over the weekend a Xinhua report on Li Qiang's visit said that engineers would conduct "straightening" work and "divert water through tunnels" to build five cascading power stations. Xinhua also reported that the hydropower dam's electricity would be mainly transmitted out of the region to be used elsewhere, while accommodating for Tibet's needs. China has been eyeing the steep valleys and mighty rivers in the rural west - where Tibetan territories are located - to build mega-dams and hydropower stations that can sustain the country's electricity-hungry eastern metropolises. President Xi Jinping has personally pushed for this in a policy called "xidiandongsong", or "sending western electricity eastwards". The Chinese government and state media have presented these dams as a win-win solution that cuts pollution and generates clean energy while uplifting rural Tibetans. But activists say the dams are the latest example of Beijing's exploitation of Tibetans and their land - and past protests have been crushed. Last year, the Chinese government rounded up hundreds of Tibetans who had been protesting against another hydropower dam. It ended in arrests and beatings, with some people seriously injured, the BBC learned through sources and verified footage. There are also environmental concerns over the flooding of Tibetan valleys renowned for their biodiversity, and the possible dangers of building dams in a region rife with earthquake fault lines. CORRECTION 21 July 2025: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the estimated cost of the dam was $1.67bn. A dam ignited rare Tibetan protests. They ended in beatings and arrests, BBC finds Solve the daily Crossword
