Eight new projects will be launched this year at the Three Gorges
area, according to a recent news release on the invitation of bids
held in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.
The eight projects are as follows:
- Filling the three-stage isolating dam at the upper reach of the
Yangtze River. The designed fill volume is 7 million cubic meters
(9.16 million cubic yards). The Three Gorges Project Development
Corporation plans to finish the bid invitation by June and start
construction in July.
- Construction and installation of a floating navigation dam and
floating wharf. The floating navigation dam will be 120 meters (131
yards) long, 10 meters (10.9 yards) wide and 3.5 meters (3.8 yards)
high, while the floating wharf will be 90 meters (98.4 yards) long,
13 meters (14.2 yards) wide and 3.6 meters (3.9 yards) high.
- Trial run of a permanent ship lock in water. From April to
June, the purchasing and installation of water supply and drainage
system and pump plant system should be finished.
- Bridge crossing the tailwater channel of underground hydropower
station as part of the right bank road leading to the construction
site. The bridge will be 135 meters (147.6 yards) long and can bear
a load of 600 tons. The project will be started in the third
quarter of the year. Now the work plan is being studied.
- Dam of open diversion canal and cofferdam of earth and stone.
The bid for it is in April and the project will be started by
June.
- Cofferdam of the third-stage concrete rolling over. The bid is
in April and the project will be started by the end of the
year.
- Third-stage construction of the principal part of the Three
Gorges Project. The bidding papers have been distributed and the
construction will be started by the end of the year.
- Purchasing and installation of auxiliary electromechanical
equipment in the left bank power station at the second stage. This
includes telecommunication system, high- and low-voltage air
compression system, oil pump and smoke filter of the oil system,
heating and ventilation system and firefighting system.
Year 2002 is critical to the 3-year storm fortifications of the
Three Gorges Project. In this year, an investment of 20.216 billion
yuan (US$2.45 billion) will be put into the pivots, transmission
and submission project and resettling of residents in this area,
the largest sum since the Three Gorges Project was launched 10
years ago.
The Three Gorges Project plans to invite 79 bids this year,
involving 5.28 billion yuan (US$638.7 million). Of them, 24 bids
exceed 30 million yuan (US$3.63 million) each, which are mainly the
resettlement of residents and purchasing of equipment and
commodities. Twelve projects will be open for bids, with a total
estimated bidding sum of 4.77 billion yuan (US$577 million), while
the other 12 for invitation bids, involving 370 million yuan
(US$44.76 million).
If
categorized according to characteristics of each bid, 40 are in
construction and installation, 30 are in purchasing of
electromechanical equipment, five are commodity purchasing and four
are in other kinds.
(新華社 [Xinhua News Agency],
translated by Li Jinhui for China.org.cn, April 24, 2002)