The installed capacity of power plants which have been built or are under construction along the Yangtze River only accounts for 27.2% of the potential technically, and 24.6% of the annual power generation. That means only one fourth of the hydropower resources has been exploited along the Yangtze River.

Under the current technical condition, the installed capacity of available hydroelectric resources in Yangtze valley is 256,272.9 MW. Under the current economic condition, installed capacity with economic development value is 228,318.7 MW. The total installed capacity of Three Gorges power plant is 22,400 MW. So either of the two indices of the installed capacity in Yangtze valley is equivalent with 10 Three Gorges project.

In order to implement the West China Development Strategy and the West-East Power Transmission program, the construction of the hydropower resources in Yangtze valley will be a hot spot of state investment in the coming dozens of years.

By People's Daily Online