Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
Learn about the world's largest dam and hydro electric project
hydro
The
Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China is the World's largest dam, largest
Hydro-electric project, and one of the largest construction projects ever. When completed this power station will generate an incredible 18.2GW of electricity from its 26
hydro turbines - equivalent to the output from 18 typical coal power stations (40 million tons of coal), or the power used by four cities the size of Los Angeles. In
units of electricity that is a total of 85 billion kWh per year (worth around £4bn per year at UK retail prices). By 2006 approximately 3% of China's vast power needs will be serviced by the
hydropower plant reducing carbon monoxide emissions by around 10,000 tons per year in a country where 80% of power is currently generated by burning coal. China are also the world's second largest consumer of oil, so they are looking to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
The
dam has created an artificial reservoir 660km long which will eventually cause the flooding of 632 square kilometers of land. This has displaced well over million people and destroyed over 1,000 towns and villages. Pictured above is an image of the Three Gorges region before the construction of the dam. The total cost of the project is claimed to be under $25 billion, however real costs are believed to be as high as $100 billion.
The dam itself is over 1.4 miles long and 185 metres high and is constructed from concrete.
Although
hydropower is seen by most to be
good for the environment thanks to its ability to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, there are now concerns that
hydro electricity generation contributes to global warming, and may in many cases lead to more climate change than coal power stations.
Article Last Modified: 08:49, 4th Jan 2010Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Calculation of Hydro PowerWork out how much hydro power can be taken from flowing water with our new online automatic hydro-power calculator
Article Last Modified: 12:47, 10th Mar 2008hydro | educationIntroduction to Hydro Electric PowerA brief introduction to Hydroelectic power generation
Article Last Modified: 15:37, 18th Jul 2007hydroRun of River Hydro PowerHydro electricity generation without a dam
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydroPico Hydro PowerFind out more about Pico Hydro power (sub-5kW generators)
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydroHydro Contributes to Global WarmingHydro electricity generation actually increases global warming
Article Last Modified: 14:35, 3rd Jan 2007hydro | newsPermanent Magnet GeneratorBuild a wind or water power system with around a PM Generator
Article Last Modified: 15:43, 6th Apr 2010wind | hydroIntroduction to Water WheelsFind out more about using the power of a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 10:16, 12th Nov 2008hydroElectricity from WaterwheelsHow to generate electricity from a waterwheel
Article Last Modified: 13:12, 27th Mar 2006hydroRainbow Power 300W Hydro Generator300 Watt 12/24 Volt hydro power generators from Rainbow Power
Article Last Modified: 12:44, 27th Jan 2012hydro | shoppingBuilding a WaterwheelThe story of the construction of a DIY waterwheel in the UK
Article Last Modified: 13:16, 6th Jun 2008hydro | education
|
|
|
