The AP reports that China has switched on the first of the 12 turbines on the right side of the huge “Three Gorges Dam”, it is already supplying electricity to the Chinese national power grid after a 3 day test run. The dam itself, is the world’s biggest hydropower project, with a total cost in excess of $22.5 billion.
China is hoping that the dam will let it cut its dependence on coal (where even at the moment, they are installing 1 coal-burning power station per week), as well as controlling the annual flooding on the Yangtze river. This latest development follows the activation of 14 turbines on the left bank of the dam, which began operating in September of 2005.
Via PHYSORG.COM [Link]
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