China eyes ambitious hydropower dam project in Tibet

BEIJING: China has indicated its intentions to embark on a hydropower initiative in Tibet, strategically located along one of the region’s principal rivers, thereby igniting speculation regarding a monumental dam that would challenge both its engineering and diplomatic capabilities.

According to the National Development and Reform Commission’s annual report presented to the National People’s Congress on Wednesday, the nation plans to construct a dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, accompanied by a power transmission project extending from Tibet to the Hong Kong area.

The Yarlung Tsangpo has long been considered a prospective site for such a mega-dam. In 2020, a report from state media cited the head of the government-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, who stated that the river’s lower reaches contained gorges with the potential to generate 70 gigawatts of electricity—more than triple the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest in the world.

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The realization of such a project would signify extraordinary accomplishments in both engineering and diplomacy. The logistics of transporting construction and energy transmission equipment to this remote locale would be formidable, particularly when contending with river rapids that descend 2,000 meters over a 50-kilometer (30-mile) stretch. Additionally, as the river flows downstream into India and Bangladesh, any disruptions to water supply could escalate into international incidents.

Speculation surrounding the project intensified in December when state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese government had approved the construction of “a hydropower project” in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo.

The government has not disclosed many specifics regarding the project, including its scale or timeline, stating only that it would be executed safely and would not adversely affect the environment or neighbouring nations downstream.