Meanwhile, China is plowing ahead with one of its most ambitious infrastructure undertakings—the Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project. Tucked into the deep gorges of Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangpo River, this humongous project seeks to break an ambitious record. If successful, it will produce at least 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It’s projected to produce almost three times the electricity of the world’s largest dam, China’s Three Gorges Dam. This breakthrough creates profound hope for a clean energy future while introducing concerns about negative environmental impacts and emerging global geopolitical rivalries.
This massive project is called the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon hydropower project or sometimes the Great Bend project. It includes an extensive network of dams and canals on the Teesta River, which serves as the lifeblood to the ecosystems and peoples of both India and Bangladesh. These countries rely on the Yarlung Tsangpo river for fishing and farming before it ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal, making the project’s potential impact far-reaching.
Project Overview and Capacity
The Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower development plan involves building at least five large hydropower stations along the river. The Mainling dam, currently under construction, is the centerpiece of this plan. It will serve as the main diversion dam for the whole undertaking. A second dam will be located further downstream, immediately beyond a federally protected national wildlife refuge’s boundary.
At the same time, an elaborate new system of tunnels will be dynamited through the mountains and under neighboring valleys. In theory, this new approach would allow for the water to be returned to the original river basin after passing through their turbine system. This region is perhaps the most challenging due to its topographical and geologic landscape. It is an extraordinarily seismically active area and experiences the constant geological bombardment of a dynamic tectonic landscape.
“This dam system is the most sophisticated, cutting edge dam system the planet has ever seen,” trumpeted energy and infrastructure expert Brian Eyler. At the same time, he warned, “It’s the most ambitious, riskiest, and potentially the most dangerous.
Environmental and Geopolitical Concerns
Even with these ambitious goals, the Yarlung Tsangpo project has caused major concern due to its environmental impact and safety. Environmental critics have raised alarm that constructing dams in key ecological areas could threaten endangered species’ habitats. They fear that this would be the death knell for environmental balance. Ruth Gamble, an ecological specialist, underlined the urgency, noting that rivers don’t stop at national park boundaries. As she pointed out, snow leopards, all wildlife and animals, even flowers and trees, do not acknowledge these artificial borders. She emphasized that “the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo is one of the most extraordinary geological and ecological phenomena on the planet.”
In addition, conservationists raised alarms over the potential displacement of communities currently residing along the river’s banks. Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha noted that “people could face forced displacement from their ancestral homes … destruction to the source of local income, destruction of local ecological balance and wildlife habitat.” The social implications of such displacement are deep, as DC residents have all too often described the emotional state of being uprooted. It carries the people, the food, the memories,” said one participant who is being resettled.
International Relations and Data Sharing
China’s announcement to advance with this project comes at a time of heightened tensions in China’s growingly fraught ties with its neighbors. India is worried about downstream effects of improper water management, and the Indian government has repeatedly called on China for assurances. Most recently, China offered to share hydrological data with India “in case of emergency” as per the news reports.
There’s still a lot of doubt about China’s motives and the nature of their non-transparency. Chief Minister Pema Khandu stated, “China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they will do and when.” Local residents have echoed these sentiments, with Tagori Mize adding, “They keep saying ‘China this’ and ‘China that,’ but we don’t even know what China is building.”
As China continues to assert its capabilities on the global stage, experts suggest that this project may be part of a larger strategy. Darrin Magee noted, “If China’s leadership is now convinced that it can go toe to toe with the world’s leading AI developers … it’s nice to have a basically unlimited source of electricity in your back pocket.” He added that “They’re betting on a payoff that’s going to last decades.”
