CHINA is building four hydroelectric dams on the Jinsha River, the headwaters of the Yangtze River, with a combined generating capacity double that of the Three Gorges Dam.
The four hydro stations with a total installed capacity of 43 million kw can supply 190 billion kWh of electricity a year upon completion, said the China Three Gorges Corp in its first social responsibility report, Beijing News reported today.
Of the four dams in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River in the western Sichuan Province, Xiangjiaba and Xiluodu hydropower stations will start operation in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Preparation is under way for two other stations in Wudongde and Baihetan.
Zhu Guangming, an official with the China Three Gorges Corp, denied that the company’s social responsibility report was to sooth the public anger after the Three Gorges Dam was blamed for frequent geological disasters and changing weather patterns.
Zhu admitted that the company needs to strengthen communication with the society as he fielded questions at yesterday’s press conference for the release of the report.