China’s Largest Dam Is As Strong As 15 Nuclear Reactors

This huge, controversial dam was built on the Yangtze River, part of Hubei province.

It is designed to reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season and store and regulate water during the dry season.

After major storms, about 70,000 cubic meters of water from the Yangtze River flow into the dam’s storage area every second. The dam will retain at least 26,000 cubic meters of water per second and release the remaining 43,000 cubic meters of water.

The dam construction has met with fierce criticism from global hydropower experts and residents of neighboring areas. The dam’s construction costs amounted to $ 22.5 billion with a combined electrical capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts, equivalent to 15 nuclear reactors, according to the Global Times.

Since 2003, when the dam was officially put into operation, Beijing has always honored this as a symbol of China’s building power. However, last May, they had to admit that the Three Gorges Dam was giving rise to many problems. Previously, scientists had warned that the excess weight of the water storage area could change the geology of central China dangerously, poisoning water and destroying the environment.