Beez Neez now Chy Whella - Three Gorges Dam Visit

Three Gorges Dam Visit

Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Mon 21 May 2018 23:27

Three Gorges Dam Visit

A short coach trip, a fairly long bimble and a queue for a little people mover.

A ride under one of the rails.......

......over the river.......

.........another bimble and toward the dam passing picture boards.

Various pictures including during construction.

Staff quarters.

Getting closer to the observation deck. The Three Gorges Dam has been the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW) since 2012. In 2014, the dam generated 98.8 terawatt-hours (TWh) and held the world record. In 2015 it was 87 TWh, which was twenty times more than the Hoover Dam, but was surpassed by the Itaipu Dam (across the Parana River, Brazil), which set the new world record in 2016, producing 103.1 TWh.

Incredible field of solar panels and more pictures. The Three Gorges Dam has thirty-four generators – thirty-two main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW, and two plant power generators, each with capacity of 50 MW, making a total capacity of 22,500 MW. Among those thirty-two main generators, fourteen are installed in the north side of the dam, twelve in the south side, and the remaining six in the underground power plant in the mountain south of the dam.

As well as producing electricity, the dam has increased the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space. China regards the project as monumental as well as a success socially and economically, with the design of state-of-the-art large turbines, and a move toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The dam has been controversial both domestically and abroad

Construction cost nearly thirty-two billion dollars.

The Three Gorges Dam took a total of seventeen years to complete: The dam measures 2,335 metres long and 185 metres high. The walls are 18 metres at the top and 130 metres at the bottom. More than a hundred workers died during the construction.

Stage One (1993 – 1997) saw the foundations of the cofferdam, the excavation of a diversion channel and the completion of a temporary ship lock.

Stage Two: (1998 – 2003). The completion of the cofferdam and the navigation buildings. Permanent left ship lock and machinery installed.

Stage Three (2003 – 2009). The construction of the power station and the dam on the right bank were finished. All machinery installed.

The upstream flooding caused a massive movement of people but the flood protection it provides for the communities downstream was considered justifiable, however, there is an increased risk of landslide. As of June 2008, and with prior warning 1.24 million people were relocated. 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were partially or completely flooded. 140,000 people chose to relocate to other provinces. All people movement was completed by the 22nd of July, a huge undertaking in such a short time. We passed areas of water where our guide pointed, below were whole tower blocks.

There was a myth that after The Three Gorges Dam was filled there would be an inertia causing a change in the earth’s rotation. The three-hundred-and-seventy-mile reservoir that was flooded caused some 1,300 archaeological sites to be covered by water. The average rise in water depth was over 91 metres.

Simply humungous.

Finding our coach was even funnier this time. Our guide had given us the bus number, so many had managed to forget and it was three-quarters of an hour before all our passengers were nestled. Back over the road bridge.........