The Three Gorges Dam Project, China

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Team Members

• 307-Jay Mehta• 308-satya nayak• 309-Rishabh Pabuwal• 310-Vinita Pandya• 311-Nimit Parikh

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Index1.Introduction2.Conception phase3.Feasibility study4.Definition phase5.Organization structure6.Execution phase7.Quality management8.Risk management9.Role of management, organization structure and responsibilities10.Science and innovation11.Science & Technology Achievements12.Chronology of events13.Conclusion14.Bibliography

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Introduction

China Yangtze Three Gorges Project (TGP), as one of the biggest hydropower-complex project in the world, ranks as the key project for improvement and development of Yangtze River. The dam is located in the areas of Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges of the river, which will control a drainage area of 1 million km 2 , with an average annual runoff of 451 billion m3 . The open valley at the dam site, with hard and complete granite as the bedrock, has provided the favorable topographical and geological conditions for dam construction.

Construction on the Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2008. The dam stands 185m high and 2,309m wide making it the world's largest hydro plant in the world, well ahead of Brazil's 12,600MW Itaipu installation.A total of 26,700MW power generators were installed with 12 sets on the right bank and 14 sets on the left. They were operational in October 2008 and generated a total of 18,200MW. Another six generators are being installed underground to make a total of 32 power generating sets, which are expected to become fully operational in 2011.In September 2009, the project proved its power generation benefits by generating 348.4TWh of electricity which is about one third of the project cost. It is expected to generate 150,000GWh excess power than the initially planned 224,400GWh for a total of 370,000GWh by the end of 2009.

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Conception Phase(This phase refers to the recognition of the problem and sending our RFP’s if the organization’s internal group is not capable of handling the problem.)

Problems that led to the need for construction of the Three Gorges Dam.•Solve the problem of disastrous floods that have haunted the Yangtze river•Overcome the need of increasing usage of power by generation of electricity.•Provision of clean water.•Reduce navigation time along the river. Also make navigation safer by construction of ship lifts.•Help provide water for agriculture.

Why the above stated Problems should be resolved:•15 million people and 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the Jianghan Plain are under flood threats, and devastating plagues of massive death are caused by big floods.•With increase in the number of industries and increased use of electricity, a clean power source is needed.•The navigation along the Yangtze is dangerous, since the gorges are notoriously dangerous to navigate.

The table below shows the conception phase of the Three Gorges Dam:

1918 Mr. Sun Yat-sen made a proposal in his General Strategy onNation Building Part II– Industrial Plan to “improve this upstream section of the river”, suggesting “water gates be built to block the river water to enable boats to sail upstream and to utilize hydraulic power”.

May 1944 Internationally acclaimed US expert on high dams, Dr. J.L. Savage, surveyed the Three Gorges and presented the Initial Report on the Plan of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.

Feb 1950 Yangtze River Valley Planning Office was founded.

1955 Comprehensive planning for the Yangtze River Basin and survey, research and design for the Three Gorges Project started.

Dec 26, 1970 Construction of the Gezhouba Hydropower Project on the Yangtze River was approved. The project started power generation in 1981 and was completed in 1989.

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Feb 27-Mar 7, 1989

The 10th Conference of the Three Gorges Project Feasibility Verification Leadership Group of the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power deliberated and adopted the Report on the Feasibility Study of the Three Gorges Hydropower Project on the Yangtze River (Draft for Deliberation).

Apr 3, 1992 The 5th Session of the 7th National People’s Congress adopted the Resolution to Build the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River, marking the completion of the project verification and approval procedures for the Three Gorges Project and the commencement of the execution phase.

It is clear from the table above that the idea for the construction of the Three Gorges Dam was initiated in 1918. Since then plans have been laid out for the construction and the actual construction started in 1993-1994.Before the plan the construction of the Dam, a feasibility study was undertaken in 1989 as shown in the table.

Feasibility StudyA feasibility study highlights and forecasts the effect/impact of the project on the environment, economy etc. Before the plan the construction of the Dam, a feasibility study was undertaken in 1989 as shown in the table. The following was the outcome:

Economic and Financial Costs:•The total cost of the Three Gorges Dam and associated projects will be enormous•The financial costs of the infrastructure alone cannot be known because of the magnitude of the expenditures, the related development projects in the region, and expenditures made unofficially. •Estimates of the construction costs made during the mid-1990s for the major parts of the project ranged from a low of $25 billion to a high of $60 billion (Dai 1994, China 1996, JPN 1996, McCully 1996, Reuters 1997). •External sources of funding will be critical for the project.•Far more difficult to compute than the financial costs of building infrastructure are the non-traditional costs associated with social disruption, political corruption, massive relocation, ecological losses, and unquantified geological threats associated with landslides and earthquakes.

Environmental Impacts•Much of China’s electricity is produced by thermal power plants burning one of the dirtiest fossil fuels like coal. •The Chinese government estimates that if the electricity generated by the Three Gorges project were produced instead with Chinese coal, 50 million more tons of coal would be burned annually, producing 100 million tons of carbon dioxide, 1.2–2 million tons of sulfur dioxide, 10,000 tons of carbon monoxide, and large quantities of particulates (China 1996, Xinhua 2007a).•Government officials also point to efforts to remove polluting enterprises from the edge of the river or reservoir, and their construction of sewage treatment facilities to improve water quality in the Three Gorges reservoir region, although they note that eutrophic conditions and algal blooms continue to occur throughout the basin (People’s Daily Online 2007).

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Fisheries Impacts•Ecological problems have been projected to occur as a result of the construction of the dam and modification of the watershed, including impacts on the fisheries of the Yangtze River basin. •Major changes in fish populations have been anticipated because the project is altering the dynamics of the river, the chemical and temperature composition of the water, and the character of the natural habitat and food resources available for these fish species. •The dam itself blocks migration of fish and access to spawning grounds, and these impacts will be imposed on top of other significant modifications to the Yangtze that have already caused declines in fisheries.

River Sediment Flow•The Yangtze River has traditionally carried a vast load of sediment from its upper reaches of the watershed to the East China Sea, supporting ecological processes in the river delta and the productivity of fisheries in the Sea. •The consequences of this drop in sediment are growing coastal erosion and a change in the ecological characteristics and productivity of the East China Sea (Xu et al. 2006).

Flood Protection•A major anticipated benefit of the project is improved flood protection on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. •Historically, people living along the Yangtze River have suffered tremendous losses from flooding. In 1931, 145,000 people drowned, and over 300,000 hectares of agricultural land flooded. In 1954, 30,000 more died in Yangtze floods or the subsequent diseases (Boyle 2007). •In 1998, a flood in the same area caused billions of dollars of damage. More than two thousand square kilometers of farm land was flooded, and over 1,500 people were killed (CTGPC 2002).

Shipping Benefits•The Yangtze River, China’s “golden waterway,” plays an important role in the economy of the upper river area. •In that region, river navigation is almost the only means of long-distance, cost-effective transportation of freight. •For Chongqing, the major port city in Sichuan province, 90 percent of goods are transported by water, and navigation on the upper Yangtze has been difficult in the past. •The Three Gorges reservoir dramatically increases the depth of water and improves navigation up to Chongqing, more than 600 kilometers upstream of the dam.

Reservoir-Induced Seismicity and Geological Instability•Large reservoirs can cause seismic events as they fill and as the pressure on local faults increases (ICE 1981). Such reservoir-induced seismicity is predicted for the Three Gorges region.•Related to the risk of increased seismic activity is the risk of increased landslides in the regions around Three Gorges with steep slopes.•The risk of such disruptions may be far more severe than anticipated and may lead to new resettlement efforts as the danger zones around the margins of the reservoir expand.

Relocation and Resettlement

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•Every large dam built in China will lead to the resettlement of local people because of the high populations and the density of towns and villages along the major rivers. •Even early in the debate over Three Gorges, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1988, 1995) acknowledged that large-scale resettlement and inundation of population centers would be among the most devastating aspects of the project.•Initial estimates of the populations to be displaced vary from around one million to almost two million.

Definition Phase(In this phase involves the analysis of the problem specified in the conception phase. It is here that the solution of the problem is scrutinized in great detail.)

In the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, a Phased Project Planning is incorporated i.e. the plan is developed in stages and not all at once since there are too many unknowns.The whole project was divided into 3 phases:•Phase I (1993~1997) was designed mainly to do advance work for project construction and excavation of diversion channel with the river close-off as the milestone. •Phase II (1998-2003) was mainly designed for construction of spillway and left-bank power house and the ship lock, with the completion of initial water storage, commercial operation of first batch of generators and ship lock open to navigation as several significant milestones of this phase. •Phase III (2004-2009) has the main task of construction of right-bank dam and powerhouse, which is symbolized as the commercial operation of all the generator units and completion of the project.

The progress of the Dam as on 2008 is shown below:

Phase I (1993-1997)

Jul 29, 1993 The 2nd Conference of the State Council Three Gorges Construction Committee was convened. At the conference, the Report on the Preliminary Design of the Three Gorges Hydropower Complex on the Yangtze River (Hydropower Complex) was reviewed and adopted, ushering in the phase of comprehensive construction preparatory works for the Three Gorges Project.

Sept 27, 1993 China Three Gorges Project Corporation was established.

Dec 14, 1994 Premier Li Peng declared the official commencement of the Three Gorges Project to the world on the site of the TGP Dam.

Nov 8, 1997 River closure was successfully carried out for the Three Gorges Project, signifying the fulfillment of the Phase I construction targets.

Phase II (1998-2003)

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2000 A total of 5.4817 million m3 of concrete was placed, setting a new world record in annual amount of concrete placement for hydropower projects.

Nov 6, 2002 River closure for the open diversion channel was successfully completed.

Jun 1, 2003 The TGP Reservoir started water impoundment, which reached el.135m on June 10.

Jun 16, 2003 The trial operation of the dual-line five-stage ship lock was successfully completed. On June 18, the ship locks were formally opened to traffic.

Jul 10, 2003 The first generating unit in the left-bank powerhouse of TGP was officially integrated into the power grid and started operations.

Phase III (2004-2009)

Sept 16, 2005 The last generating unit in the left-bank powerhouse of TGP was put into operation. By this point, the 14 generating units in the left-bank powerhouse became fully operational one year ahead of the schedule in the preliminary design.

May 20, 2006 The TGP Dam was completely topped out.

Jun 6, 2006 The TGP Phase III roller-compacted concrete cofferdam was removed and the TGP Dam started blocking water across the river; thus, TGP started to provide flood control benefits two years ahead of schedule.

Oct 27, 2006 The TGP Reservoir realized its goal of a 156m water impoundment in the initial phase one year ahead of schedule.

May 1, 2007 The dual-line five-stage ship lock was completed, significantly boosting the navigational efficiency and benefits of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River.

Jun 2007 The first generating unit in the right-bank powerhouse of TGP became operational. The powerhouse set a world record by putting an installed capacity of 5000 MW into operation in a single year.

2008 All of the remaining five generating units in the right-bank powerhouse of TGP will be commissioned.

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Organization Structure

Structure

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Organization Mission Statement(When defining the project, a mission statement is laid down so that the company can focus on the

Build a dam with the “TGP Spirit”

Execute the Three Gorges Project for the benefit of the whole nation Do our part and outdo ourselves

Persist in innovation and build first-class projects Engage in fair competition and work closely together

Respect science and seek truth from facts

Follow the defined hydropower development philosophy

Build a first-class hydropower plant to stimulate the growth of the local economy, improve the local environment, and benefit resettled residents.

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Execution PhaseCostThere are two major costs of dams.•Cost of construction•Costs of operation and maintenance

These costs can total millions of dollars. But often the costs of construction can be grossly underestimated, as in the case of the Three Gorges Dam being built in China. The estimates to finish the dam are now three times what they originally were.There are also costs associated with relocating people, loss of ancestral grounds, and loss of archaeological artifacts. Some of these things can't be put in terms of money.

Sources of capital1. Revenue from power generation by the Gezhouba dam is now Y0.39 per kWh. Starting in 1993, it will be raised one fen270 a year, so that by 1996, it will be 8 fen higher, and the total amount of funds generated during the construction period will come to Y14.2 billion (Y7.1 billion prior to power generation by the Three Gorges dam).2. Regarding the construction fund for the Three Gorges project, the premier's office under the State Council has decided that the State Price Bureau would issue a document in 1992 that Y0.003 would be drawn from each kWh on the national power network to be put into a construction fund for the Three Gorges project, with a total amount of Y40 billion to be raised during the construction period (Y22.3 billion prior to power generation by the Three Gorges dam).3. Revenue from power generation by the Three Gorges dam will produce 507.9 billion kWh, and based on the state-regulated price in 1992 of 19.4 fen per kWh, the total profit will be Y54.8 billion. Adding on a depreciation fee of Y8.6 billion and the return on tax-exempt loans of Y3.2 billion, the total will come to Y66.6 billion. Assuming a 6 percent annual increase in the price of electricity, the total will reach Y169.6 billion.4. Foreign loans will be used to import equipment, including four turbine power generators, and direct power switch equipment along with major equipment for shiplifts, which will total $1.59 billion, equivalent to Y8.6 billion (Y0.7 billion prior to power generation).5. Domestic bank loans will come to Y15.3 billion prior to power generation. Assuming a 6 percent annual increase in prices, the total will come to Y45.5 billion.6. Issuing of Three Gorges Project construction bonds (two years before power generation) will raise Y2 billion. Assuming 6 percent annual increase, the total will come to Y4 billion.

In summary, the total amount of funds raised in the 20 years will be Y147.6 billion (Y52.9 billion prior to power generation). Assuming a 6 percent price increase, the total will come to Y281.9 billion (Y81.5 billion prior to power generation).

The additional source of income are as follows:•Every province receiving power from the Three Gorges Dam has to pay an additional charge of ¥7.00 per MWh. •Provinces that will not receive power from the Three Gorges Dam have to pay an additional charge of ¥4.00 per MWh.

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•Tibet does not have to pay any additional money.

Estimated Investment1.A comparison of the current static investment to the past:

•According to the assessment report, in 1986 prices, total cost will be Y36.1 billion (the central project will cost Y18.8 billion, population relocation Y11.1 billion, and electricity transfer Y6.3 billion).• According to the YVPO feasibility report, the cost in 1990 prices is Y57 billion (in the same order as above: 29.8 + 18.5 + 8.7).•According to the preliminary design, the cost in 1992 prices is Y75.1 billion (38.3 + 23.7 + 13.1)

2. Taking interest on capital and price increases into consideration:•The static investment in 1992 prices, without consideration of interest costs and price increases, is Y75.1 billion (Y38.2 billion prior to the generation of power).•If 70 percent of the investment is based on an 8.82 percent annual interest rate, total cost will be Y117.0 billion after adding on the interest incurred during the construction period (Y53 billion prior to the generation of power).•Assuming a 6 percent annual inflation rate, the total capital needed during the 20-year construction period will be Y224 billion (Y81.6 billion prior to the generation of power).

When finished, the project will have cost no more than 180 billion yuan , 20 billion yuan less than the initial estimated budget of 203.9 billion yuan. This calculation accounts for the effect of inflation, and the lower costs are attributed to a low inflation rate in recent years.It is estimated that the cost of construction will be recovered when the dam generates 1000 TWh of the electricity, which will be sold at the price of 250 billion yuan. This will take 10 more years after the dam starts full operation.

Quality Management•China Yangtze Three Gorges Development Corporation (CTGPC) persists on organizing the project construction according to market economic principles, and executes a project construction management system with legal person responsibility as the core, including bidding for contractors, management by contracts, constructing with supervision. •In the project construction, the quality is put at the first place, and management creation is emphasized. In order to improve the quality management level, a QA system is established with multi-level control and whole-process supervision. •And considering TGP's features of large scale and great number of components, the progress control system is established based on the project management principles and with computer information system as supplementary. •And the so called "static control and dynamic management" budget system and the contracts based investment control system are set up, which forms double restricts for the investment. •With all these methods, the factual construction progress satisfies the complete arrangement of the project, and project quality conforms with the design, and investment is controlled within the budget approved by the state.

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SchedulingIt is important to have the entire dam project planned out. Scheduling delays due to poor planning of resource allocation (including labor and capital) can cost contractors up-to $50,000 a day. The increased estimates in the costs of the Three Gorges Dam have left authorities unsure about where the needed money will come from.

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Risk Management(Project risk management is a process which combines the analysis and management of the risks with a project. The purpose of risk management is to reduce future damage and loss, to minimize the total cost of risk and identify, control and limit the impact of the risks (Hamilton, 1996) it is a process designed to eliminate or limit the risks which threaten the achievement of project objectives. Properly undertaken it will increase the successful completion of a project for cost, time and performance objectives.)

1.Physical risksThe earthquake and geology experts have identified that the dam is located in the influenced area where might occur earthquake at 6 magnitude at highest level. Once the earthquake take place and the dam may collapse the consequences would be even worse than if the dam had not been therePhysical risks control and arrangementBecause the earthquake and geology experts have identified that the dam is located in the influenced area where may occur earthquake at 6 magnitude at highest level. The whole construction of dam is built at the defensive lever of magnitude of 7. Additionally, China Three Gorges Project Corporation has entrusted China Earthquake Administration to develop and set up Three Gorges Dam Project earthquake monitoring system which adopts advanced digital remote controlling technique for constructing earthquake monitoring networks.Finally, even if the dam will collapse for earthquake or other reasons, it has the ability to discharge all the water in three days, impossibly makes any grave consequence

2. Inputs risksThe dam wall is made of concrete and is about 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high. The wall is 115 meters wide on the bottom and 40 meters wide on top. The project used 27,200,000 cubic meters of concrete, 463,000 metric tons of steel and numerous workforces. If these necessary inputs cannot be in place, the time limit for the whole project would be badly affected.Input risks control and arrangementIn the past, the construction and management of a project are separated.However, the mode that China Three Gorges Project Corporation is in charge of all process of the construction, management and payment of the loan. It has avoided wasting and made a clear division. What’s more, it introduces bidding and tendering, supervising, contract management system, sighed contracts with different qualified material company to make sure the fully inputs. These systems transfer the input risks to various companies through contractualSince 1993, the project has covered equipments, labors and the whole construction in People's Insurance Company of China for ¥15.2 billion. It also invites American Daxin insurance consultant company as the project insurance adviserto prevent contingency. It is also a very useful way for transferring risks through insurance

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3. Society risksThe relocation of local residents is the central part of the Three Gorges Dam Project. It is considered as important as the construction of the dam. 1,400,000 citizens have been displaced, which is about 1.5% of the total population of Hubei Province (60.3 million) and Chongqing City (31.44 million) where the reservoir is located. About 140,000 residents will be relocated out of Hubei province to eastern provinces and some central provinces, and the majority of the remaining people will be relocated within Hubei Province. The government needs to consider two serious problems that moving out the inhabitants and their economic reconstruction simultaneously. It will result in some very bad society effects if the two problems cannot be solved well and smoothlySociety risks control and arrangementThe project adopts the mode of “Developmental Immigration” which is moving out the inhabitant, in the meantime taking the infrastructure construction and industry construction. China ThreeGorges Project Corporation allocates the funds to local government for the inhabitant arrangement annually and all the other provinces have been called on to support every district of three gorges

4. Financial risksThe dam will be entirely completed in 2009 lasting 15 years with a budget of $20 billion and the costly resettlement plan amounts up to $4 billion. For such a long time, the government has to consider carefully for any influencing factor on the final budget, such as inflation, changes of inputs price and some contingency.There are a lot of examples of projects were abandoned for lack of enough funds. (e.g. The financial crisis in Asia in 1997 caused a lot of projects failure).Financial risks control and arrangementSince 1994, the profits of Gezhouba Hydroelectric Station have transferred into the Three Gorgers Project construction fund directly. Till the foundation of “China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd” in 2002, which based on the Gezhouba Power Station, it has controlled all the assets of Gezhouba Dam and Three Gorgers Dam. The corporation’s IPO were issued in Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2003. Its collected money and profits became the main resource of construction fund. Besides, China Three Gorges Project Corporation has issued domestic bonds periodically to collect moneyWhat’s more, sources for funding also include the Three Gorges Dam Construction Fund, policy loans from the China Development Bank, loans from domestic and foreign commercial banks, corporate bonds, and revenue from Three Gorges Dam before and after it are fully operational, with additional charges for electricity contributing to the Three Gorges Construction Fund. The additional charges are as follows: Every province receiving power from the ThreeGorges Dam has to pay an additional charge of ¥7.00 per MWH. Provinces that will not receive power from the ThreeGorges Dam have to pay an additional charge of ¥4.00 per MWH. Tibet does not have to pay any additional money

6.Residual risksIt is obvious that Three Gorges Dam Project still have some residual risks that can not be totally eliminated, substituted of contractually transferred to others, such as the bad effect on ecological environment and historic interest around three gorges, a lot of people have to leave their hometown etc.

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Role of management, organization structure and responsibilities

1.Cost The problem faced was that of high cost and investment will be too high, almost irrecoverable. And cheaper poer sources in time to come will become available in future.Solution - The dam was made within budget and updating the transmission grid, improving it constantly will increase demand for its electricity and allow the dam to pay for itself.

2.EnvironmentProblems like water pollution, soil erosion and deforestation will increase, the coastline will be eroded and the altered ecosystem will further endanger many species, leading to imbalance in nature.Solution - Hydroelectric power is cleaner than coal burning and safer than nuclear plants, and steps will be taken to protect the environment

3.ResettlementRelocated people are worse off than before and their human rights are being violated.15 million people downstream will be better off due to electricity and flood control.

4.Local culture and natural beautyThe reservoir will flood many historical sites and ruin the legendary scenery of the gorges and the local tourism industry.Many historical relics are being moved, and the scenery will not change that much.

5.NavigationHeavy siltation will clog ports within a few years and negate improvements to navigation.Shipping will become faster, cheaper and safer as the rapid waters are tamed and ship locks are installed.

6.Flood controlSiltation will decrease flood storage capacity, the dam will not prevent floods on tributaries, and more effective flood control solutions are available.The huge flood storage capacity will lessen the frequency of major floods. The risk that the dam will increase flooding is remote.

7.Power generationTechnological advancements have made hydro dams obsolete, and a decentralized energy market will allow rate payers to switch to cheaper, cleaner power supplies.The alternatives are not viable yet and there is a huge potential demand for the relatively cheap hydroelectricity

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Science and Innovation

In 2007, CTGPC injected •RMB 566 million into scientific research, including •RMB 300 million for engineering technology, which was primarily spent on construction technology research, dedicated engineering research, ecological environment research and compensation, initial project survey and design, and feasibility research; •RMB 266 million for electric power production technologies, which was mostly spent on river basin planning for hydropower, cascade operations, reservoir impoundment scheme design, and production technology renovation; as well as related expenditures for CTGPC’s Post-doctoral Research Center and Chinese Sturgeon Research Institute.

In 2007, CTGPC’s science and technology expenditures accounted for 3.37% of its revenues from main operations.

Science & Technology Achievements

TGP has vigorously pursued technology innovations, producing a major boost in China's industrial equipment and technology standards and independent innovation capabilities.•As of the end of 2007, science and technology achievements arising from TGP have

•won 16 national awards for science and technology advancement, and •more than 200 scientific research projects have won provincial- and ministerial-level awards for science and technology achievements; •over 700 invention patents have been obtained as a result of works relating to TGP, •over 100 standards on engineering quality and technology have been set, and•more than 100 world records have been created.

Few main notable achievements by the TGP are:

1.“Research on the Fine Simulation and Inverse Issue of Water Flow for Water Resources and Hydropower Projects” wins the Second Prize of the 2007 National Award for Science and Technology Advancement•This research project, based on such large-scale hydropower projects asTGP, Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Ertan and Xiaowan provides resolutions to practical issues encountered in fine simulation of water flow on projects, and improves the practicality of the theory and achievements relating to the inverse issue of engineering hydraulics. •The research achievements include:

•methods for numerical simulation of hydraulic turbulence, •fine numerical simulation of spillways and energy dissipating water flow, •fine simulation of water flow in water cushion pools and river channel,

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•numerical simulation of gas- and liquid-phase high-turbulence flow, •fine simulation of near-field pollution and water flow in sewage discharge works, •fine simulation of hydropower turbine water flow, and research on the inverse issue of engineering hydraulics.

2.“Research and Application of Key Technology for Compound Grouting in Weak Argillation Strata in Fault Fracture Zones at the Foundation of Hydraulic Structures” won the Second Prize of the 2007 Hubei Provincial Award for Science and Technology Advancement.•This research project is a response to the urgent demand of China’s large-scale water resources and hydropower works for techniques which can be applied in the seepage prevention, leakage stoppage, bracing and strengthening of major unfavorable geological defects. In light of the key scientific and technological issues in the treatment of weak argillaceous fault fracture zones at TGP, it has eventually built a theoretically advanced, technologically feasible and economically viable system for the compound grouting treatment and construction with regard to weak argillation strata in fault fracture zones.•The cement chemical compound grouting technique features a solid theoretical foundation, superb controllability, sophisticated processes and equipment, and outstanding treatment results. It has been successfully used in the bracing treatment of weak argillation strata in fault fracture zones at TGP and the Jiangya Hydropower Plant Project. •It will be popularized for the treatment of major geological defects in various fields, such as highways, railways, coal mines, mining, petroleum, natural gas, construction, underground space development, and underground nuclear waste storage in China, especially in the country’s western regions. •It is set to play a significant role in China’s infrastructure construction and economic development and produce substantial socio-economic benefits.

3.“Scientific Experiment Design, Construction and Monitoring Technique for TGP Phase III (RCC) Cofferdam Blasting Removal” won the 2006 Special Award of China Engineering Blasting Association•Construction- and removal-integrated design concepts, rapid construction techniques and brand-new cofferdam blasting removal techniques have been adopted for the TGP Phase III roller compacted concrete (RCC) cofferdam, and these concepts and techniques have created many national and even global records. •Among these techniques, the directional underwater cofferdam collapse technique features novel design conception, ingenious arrangement of charge chambers, fracture holes and cutting holes, accurate blasting sequence and time delay, and complete collapse exactly as planned, it is a major innovation in the world’s cofferdam blasting history. •With a removal of 186,000 m3 of concrete, a maximum blasting water depth of 45.3 meters, a total amount of 191.5 tons of charge loaded, and 959 blasting sections, TGP has set various domestic and international cofferdam blasting removal records. •This technique created favorable conditions for TGP to achieve its goals of bringing the reservoir impoundment to the 156m elevation and to commence the operations of the right-bank powerhouse in 2006, delivering enormous socio-economic benefits. The achievements of this research project have been successfully incorporated into engineering practices.

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4.Three Gorges Hydropower Plant’s Diagnostic Operation Management and Exploring and Practice of Establishment of a Modern Maintenance and Management System for Hydropower Plants Win the First and Second Awards for Management Innovation in China’s Electric Power Industry, respectively.•Since it became operational four years ago, the Three Gorges Hydropower Plant (TGHP) has become the first one in China to acquire the capabilities of managing and operating a super-size hydropower plant independently. •By constantly exploring better operating management models, meticulously conducting power generation equipment evaluations, diagnostic operation and status inspections, and formulating and implementing anti-accident contingency plans, TGHP has managed to further improve equipment reliability, and its production safety has reached a record level.•In 2007, the cascade hydropower plant achieved its target of “zero equipment safety accident and zero personal injury or death”.

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Chronology of Events: Three Gorges Dam Project

1919 First mention of the Three Gorges project in Sun Yat-sen’s “Plan to Develop Industry.”

1931 Massive flooding along the Yangtze River kills 145,000 people.

1940s The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation helps Chinese engineers identify a site.

1954 Flooding along the Yangtze leave 30,000 people dead and one million people homeless.

1955 Soviet engineers play a role in project planning and design.

Jan 1958 Mao appoints Zhou Enlai to begin planning along Yangtze.

May 1959 Yangtze Valley Planning Office (YVPO) identifies Sandouping site for dam.

1966 All work halted by the Cultural Revolution (1965–1975).

1976 Planning recommences.

Feb 1984 Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power recommends immediate commencement of construction.

1985 The National Peoples Congress delays a decision until 1987 because of economic difficulties.

1986 The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power asked the Canadian government to finance a feasibility study

Aug 1988 Canadian-World Bank “Three Gorges Water Control Project Feasibility Study” is completed and recommends construction at “an early date.”

Feb 28, 1989 Yangtze! Yangtze! released.

Feb1992 Politburo Standing Committee agrees to the construction of the project.

Apr 3, 1992 China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) formally approved the “Resolution on the Construction of the Yangtze River Three Gorges Project.” 177 delegates oppose the project, 644 abstain, 1,767 approve.

Apr 27, 1992 The Canadian government cancels development assistance for 21

the project.

May 1992 179 members of the Democratic Youth Party reportedly detained in connection with their protests against the Three Gorges project in Kai County, Sichuan (HRW 1995).

Jan 1993 An armed fight involving over 300 persons occurred in the vicinity of the dam (HRW 1995).

Dec 14, 1993 The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation terminates agreements for technical services because of economic and environmental impacts.

Early 1994 The full resettlement program begins in earnest.

Mid-1994 Excavation and preparation of the dam’s foundations are underway at Sandouping, the chosen dam site.Dec 14, 1994 Premier Li Peng formally declared the project under construction.

May 1996 The US Ex-Im Bank’s board votes unanimously to withhold support for the project and voices serious reservations about the dam’s environmental and social impacts and its economic viability.

Aug 1997 China awards a contract for 14 power generating units to GEC Alsthom, ABB, and an industrial consortium formed by Germany’s Voith and Siemens and General Electric Canada (VGS).

Sept 1997 The State Development Bank of China signs a loan package with Germany’s Kreditanstalt Fur Wiederaufbau, Dresdner Bank, and DG Bank that includes both export credits and a $200 million commercial loan.

Nov 1997 Yangtze River dammed

1998–2002 Concrete pouring on left bank

2003–2006 Concrete pouring on right bank

May/Jun 2003 Dam is finished and the first water is impounded. The level of water in the reservoir rises to 135 meters in June.

July 2003 The first electricity is produced.

June 2006 Dam is completed.

Oct 2006 North side generators reach full capacity.

2007 MW turbine generators in operation.

2008 New estimated completion date.

2009 Original estimated completion date. Reservoir estimated to be raised to 175 meters.

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Appendix 1

Funding:

Tax on power consumers throughout the country: $5 billion

Revenue from the Gezhouba Dam

Revenue from the Three Gorges Electricity Sales: $2.5 billion/year

State Financed Loans: $3.6 billion

Corporate Bonds: $2.3 billion

Stock Issues: $1.2 billion

Mandated Donations: $5 billion

Export Credit from 6 Countries:

Brazil: $202 million

Canada: $200 million

France: $94 million

Germany: $440 million

Sweden: $351 million

Switzerland: $143 million

 

 Appendix 2

Facts & Figures:

Cost: $26 billion

Dam Height: 600 ft

Dam Width: 1.3 miles

Reservoir Height: 185 meters

Reservoir Length: 360 miles

Electricity Capacity: 18.2 million kilowatts

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Generators: 26

Concrete used: 16 million cubic meters

Flooded:

13 Cities

140 Towns

1352 Villages

657 Factories

100,000 acres of Farmland

Relocated People:

2007: 1.2-1.7 million

by 2020: 4 million

ConclusionThe Three Gorges Dam in China is rapidly approaching completion. This project, alongwith a vast array of peripheral projects, constitutes the largest water-supply developmentin the history of humanity. As with any major construction project that substantiallymodifies or alters a watershed, the Three Gorges Dam will have significant costsand benefits. Among the most significant benefits are the generation of electricitywithout greenhouse gas emissions, improvements in navigation, and potential reductionsin flood risk. Among the most significant costs are massive dislocations ofmillions of Chinese to make way for the dam and reservoir, further ecological degradationof the Yangtze River ecosystem and fisheries, a reduction in sedimentationreaching the East China Sea, and a growing risk of new landslides and reservoirinducedseismicity. Over decades, the overall implications of the project will becomemore evident, but before the full benefits have begun to be delivered, the environmental,social, political, and economic costs are beginning to accumulate. Even officialgovernment spokesmen are beginning to question the substantial human and environmentalcosts of the project, while other officials are moving rapidly forward on new

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massive water infrastructure elsewhere in China, without having learned the lessonsfrom Three Gorges. Long-term sustainable water management in China will require abetter balancing of the true costs and benefits of their water choices.

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