Three Gorges

The Three Gorges Dam on China’s Yangtze River, completed in 2012 after nearly two decades of phased construction, is the world’s largest hydroelectric power station by installed capacity.

Built from over 27 million cubic meters of concrete and 463,000 metric tons of steel, the dam stretches 2,335 meters in length and rises 185 meters in height, creating a reservoir that extends more than 600 kilometers upstream.

Its 34 main generators—32 of which are 700 MW units and two smaller 50 MW generators—yield a total installed capacity of 22.5 gigawatts, with an average annual output exceeding 95 terawatt-hours, supplying power to tens of millions of households in central and eastern China.

Beyond electricity generation, the dam provides flood control and improved navigation for large cargo ships, though its construction required the relocation of over 1.3 million people and continues to spark debate over ecological and cultural impacts.