China to Build World’s Largest Hydropower Dam

China has approved the construction of what is set to become the world’s largest hydropower dam, marking an ambitious step on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

The massive project, expected to be built on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, promises to revolutionize the nation’s renewable energy output.

According to 2020 estimates by Power Construction Corporation of China, the dam could generate an astonishing 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

This would surpass the design capacity of the current world leader, the Three Gorges Dam in central China, which produces 88.2 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency described the project as pivotal to China’s carbon neutrality goals, boosting related industries and creating significant employment opportunities in Tibet.

While the exact costs remain undisclosed, experts predict the project will exceed the 254.2 billion yuan ($34.83 billion) spent on the Three Gorges Dam, which involved relocating 1.4 million residents—far more than the initially estimated 57 billion yuan.

Concerns remain regarding the dam’s environmental and social impacts, particularly in the ecologically rich Tibetan Plateau. 

Officials have yet to clarify the number of residents who may be displaced or the long-term effects on the region's biodiversity.