The Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity (21,000 MW) but is second to Itaipu Dam with regard to the generation of electricity annually.
The dam body was completed in 2006. Except for a ship lift, the originally planned components of the project were completed on October 30, 2008, when the 26th turbine in the shore plant began commercial operation. Each turbine has a capacity of 700 MW. The last two turbines in the underground power plant are not expected to become fully operational until May 2012. Coupling the dam’s thirty-two main turbines with two smaller generators (50 MW each) to power the plant itself, the total electric generating capacity of the dam will eventually reach 22,500 MW.
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| Location | Sandouping, Yiling, Hubei |
| Coordinates |  30°49′48″N 111°00′36″ECoordinates: 30°49′48″N 111°00′36″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | December 14, 1994 |
| Opening date | 2008 |
| Construction cost | ¥180 billion (US$26 billion) |
| Owner(s) | China Yangtze Power |
