This is how China wants to produce gigantic amounts of electricity

China has set itself the goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2060. The next mega-project to achieve this goal is already under construction: A huge dam that is higher than all the others before it.

The country in the Far East is currently building the highest hydroelectric power plant in the world. It is located in Qinghai Province and is around 5,000 meters above sea level on the Yellow River.

7.3 billion kilowatt hours per year are to be generated

The plant is said to have a capacity of 2.2 million kilowatts and generate over 7.3 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually (via China Daily).

The hydroelectric plant is operated in conjunction with a solar array and an energy storage system. The plan is to save the equivalent of 2.56 million tons of coal.

A recent picture of the construction site for the mega dam (Image: China Daily)

The hydroelectric power plant is part of China’s efforts to switch its energy supply to renewable energy and is expected to be commissioned in March 2024. It consists of a dam that will be 211 meters high and a reservoir with a capacity of 1.482 billion cubic meters.

China has made tremendous efforts to expand its renewable energies and reduce carbon emissions in recent years. The country already has the world’s largest wind farm and solar power plant located in a desert area.

Renewable energies are also becoming increasingly important in Europe. For example, France wants to cover half of all car parks with solar cells, and Italy is manufacturing solar systems that invisible are. You can find out more about this in the articles linked above.

In addition, China has the world’s largest overall hydroelectric power station, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, with a capacity of 22.5 gigawatts.