The hydropower station of the Three Gorges Project, the largest hydro-electric project in the world, began to supply electricity to energy-starved Guangdong Province on Sunday.

The power station is expected to transmit 8.16 billion kwh of electricity to the south China province this year, equivalent to the output of a new thermal-power plant, with an installed capacity of 1.6 million kw.

Li Yong'an, general manager of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, said his corporation will put more generators into operation and generate more electricity this year.

Six generators went into operation in 2003, producing 8.6 billion kwh of electricity in total. Under the state target, the Three Gorges Project will produce 30.9 billion kwh of electricity this year.

To attain the production goal, four more generators, with an installed capacity of 700,000 kw each, are scheduled to start operation respectively in March, May, July and September this year to bring the total number of generating units in operation to ten.

Since the first generating unit began operation on July 10, 2003, the Three Gorges Project has transmitted electricity to 10 provinces and municipalities in central, eastern and southwestern China.

The Three Gorges project is located at the Xiling Gorge Section between the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at Sandouping Town in Yichang City, Hubei Province. With a total investment of 180 billion yuan (US$21.76 billion), the project started in 1993 and is scheduled for completion in 2009.

The power station is designed to have a total of 26 generating units each with an installed capacity of 700,000 kw. When all units are in operation, the station will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.

(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2004)