China gives go-ahead for three new Brahmaputra dams by Ananth Krishnan in HINDU
12th Plan stresses hydropower from Yarlung Zangbo
China has given the go-ahead for the construction of three new
hydropower dams on the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra river, ending a
two-year halt in approving new projects on the river amid concerns from India
and environmental groups.
The
three new dams have been approved by the State Council, or Cabinet, under a new
energy development plan for 2015 that was released on January 23, according to a
copy of the plan available with The Hindu.
China has, so far, only begun construction on one major hydropower
dam on the main stream of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra or Yarlung
Zangbo as it is known in China – a 510 MW project in Zangmu in the Tibet
Autonomous Region (TAR), which began to be built in 2010.
One
of the three approved new dams is bigger than the Zangmu project.
A
640 MW dam will be built in Dagu, which lies 18 km upstream of Zangmu. Another
320 MW dam will be built at Jiacha, also on the middle reaches of the
Brahmaputura downstream of Zangmu. A third dam will be built at Jiexu, 11 km
upstream of Zangmu. The capacity of the Jiexu dam is, as yet, unconfirmed.
The
three projects were listed in the State Council’s energy plan for the Twelfth
Five Year Plan period (2011-15), which was released on January
23.
Vigorous push
The
plan said the government “will push forward vigorously the hydropower base
construction” on the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. In the Twelfth Five
Year plan period (2011-15), the government will begin construction of 120
million kilowatt of conventional hydropower.
Feasibility study
A
pre-feasibility study report for the 640 MW Dagu dam passed review in November,
according to the Huadong Engineering Corporation, a hydropower company that was
tasked with conducting the study by the local government.
A
notice posted on its website said a two-day review conference for the
pre-feasibility study of the dam was held in November, organised by the Tibet
Autonomous Region government’s Development and Reform Commission. The notice
said the study successfully passed review, adding that the dam would be located
18 km upstream of the already in-construction Zangmu dam.
The
catchment area at the dam site, according to the Huadong Engineering
Corporation, is 157,400 square kilometres, and the average annual discharge is
1010 cubic metres per second.
The
dam will be built with a height of 124 metres and 640 MW capacity. The
construction of the Zangmu dam in 2010 triggered concerns in India regarding
possible impact on downstream flows. Chinese officials, however, assured their
Indian counterparts that the project was only a run-of-the-river hydropower
station, which would not divert the Brahmaputra’s waters. The government has
also built at least six smaller hydropower projects on the Yarlung Zangbo’s
tributaries, which, officials say, will have no impact on downstream flows.
Diversion plan shelved
The
government has, for now, shelved a long-discussed plan to divert the Yarlung
Zangbo’s waters to the arid north, citing technical difficulties. The plan is
part of the proposed Western route of the massive South-to-North diversion
project, on which construction is yet to begin. Chinese officials and analysts
say a diversion plan is very unlikely, considering the difficult terrain and
technical problems.
However, with the three new approvals under the energy plan, four
hydropower projects will now be built — all located within a few dozen
kilometres of each other — on the main stream of the middle reaches of the
Brahmaputra.
Fresh concerns likely in India
While they are run-of-the-river projects, they will be required to
store large volumes of water for generating power. Their construction is likely
to trigger fresh concerns in India on how the flows of the Brahmaputra
downstream will be impacted.
Also read - MND Foreign Affairs Office summarizes China's
military diplomacy work in 2012 29/1/13 http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90786/8111859.html
China gives go-ahead for three new Brahmaputra dams by Ananth Krishnan in
HINDU 30/1/2013
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