June 27th, 2006
Dateline China – China is damming the Yangtze river with a 24 billion dollar hydroelectric dam. The yet to be Three Gorges Dam, scheduled for completion in 2009, will produce over 18,000 MW of power the equivalent power generation provided by 18 modern nuclear power plants. Additionally, the dam will allow for seafaring trade along the upper side of the Yangtze during temperate months into the interior of the country opening a region burgeoning with agricultural and manufactured products. Also, the finished project will minimize downstream flooding which typically is an annual occurrence.
The project demonstrates China technological prowess and overall engineering superiority. However, this project is a major financial undertaking; the banks involved with the project accept considerable risk. One clear example of opposition concerns the citizens that must be resettled.
As reported in: http://www.irn.org/programs/threeg/pdf/3gcolor.pdf
"Compensation offered to re-settlers has fallen short of the replacement cost for their property. Instead, they are forced to buy housing at a cost that far exceeds the compensation they have been offered."
In summary, the Three Gorges Dam highlights China's considerable efforts to be a modern power.
July 1st, 2006 at 9:22 am
The Yangtze to be dam-med? Damn! That is one ambitious project. And right on time. China is eating so much energy it has to find and capture energy from anywhere it could. Keep us updated!