Chinese engineers Thursday began to install the first generator unit at the Three Gorges Hydropower Plant on the Yangtze River.

It will be the world's largest hydropower plant upon completion.

The move has laid a solid foundation for the operation of the first generator unit in 2003, engineers said.

Largest hydropower plant upon completion

With a total installed capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts, the Three Gorges power plant will be able to generate 84.68 kilowatt hours of electricity when it is fully operational.

The power plant will have 26 generator units, each with a capacity of 700,000 kilowatts. They are being manufactured in 17 factories in eight countries.

According to the construction plan, the first two sets of generators will produce electricity in October 2003.

The Three Gorges Project: A Brief Introduction

The idea of building a gigantic dam in the Three Gorges area to harness the Yangtze River is not new. More than seventy year ago, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, pioneer of the Chinese democratic revolution, first proposed that a Yangtze Three Gorges Project be constructed. Later, numerous experts conducted investigations on and preparatory work for the project. But because of historic reasons and lack of resources, the development of the project remained only a dream. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the project was back on the agenda. After meticulous feasibility studies by experts, it was finally concluded that the merits of the project far overweigh its demerits. On April 3, 1992, the National People's Congress approved the construction of the project. The Three Gorges Project has its main benefits in flood control, power generation and navigation.

( People's Daily November 23, 2001)