The Three Gorges power plant, the world's largest hydroelectric power project, has generated 1 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity after 14 years in operation.
The 1-trillion-kWh mark was reached at 12:28 pm Wednesday, equivalent to 7.1 times the power consumption in 2015 of China's largest city, Shanghai, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
People's Daily reported that 1 trillion kWh of electricity could supply the needs of 100 million three-member families for 5.72 years and Beijing for 10.5 years.
The same amount of electricity could also support the whole country for 60 days, the People's Daily reported.
More than one-third of the amount was sent to East China, including Shanghai, the People's Daily added.
"The Three Gorges Dam not only benefited the economy and provided energy but also reduced greenhouse gas emissions," Dai Xingyi, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering of Shanghai's Fudan University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Xinhua reported that the Three Gorges Project has reduced coal consumption by 319 million tons and carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions by 858 million tons and 8.99 million tons respectively, compared with thermal power generation, the document said.
"Therefore, it reduced the frequency of smog in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, which is located in a valley," Dai noted.
Launched in 1993, the project is a multi-function water control system consisting of a dam, 32 hydroelectric power turbo-generators with a generating capacity of 700,000 kilowatts, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift, according to Xinhua.
The project controls floodwater, generates electricity and helps regulate the river's maritime traffic.
The hydroelectric power plant has a combined generating capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts and a designed annual generating capacity of 88.2 billion kWh, Xinhua reported.
"Hydroelectric power in China is indispensable. Southwest China features high altitudes and frequent rain, which makes the development of hydroelectric power a clear choice in the country," Dai noted.
However, in exploiting hydroelectric power, some issues remain, such as abusing some river reaches, fish migration and resettling people displaced by the construction of hydroelectric power projects, said Dai.
