20 years on, China's Three Gorges dam generates 1,600 TWh of electricity

(ECNS) -- China's Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station has generated a total of over1,600 terawatt-hours (TWh) of clean electricity since its first generator unit was put into operation 20 years ago.

Located on the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station is the world's largest hydropower project with a total installed capacity of 22.5 gigawatts and 34 hydro turbine generator units. It has an annual designed power generation capacity of 88.2 TWh.

The 600 TWh of electricity is equivalent to replacing over 480 million metric tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.32 billion metric tons. Over the past 20 years, the Three Gorges Dam has contributed over 22 trillion yuan ($3.05 trillion) of GDP to China's economic development.

The annual power generation of the station has surpassed 100 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) three times, specifically in 2018, 2020, and 2021. In 2020, the Three Gorges Dam produced a total of 111.8 billion kWh of clean electricity, setting a world record.