The world's largest hydropower project, the
Three Gorges Project, is ready for the third and final six-year
phase of construction to begin next year, said Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao Friday.
The second phase of the Three Gorges Project was completed as
scheduled with the operation of four power generating units in
August.
Premier Wen told the 13th session of the State Council Three
Gorges Project Construction Committee that the tasks in the third
phase of the project will still be hard despite the success of the
second phase.
From 2004 to the end of 2009, the construction of the dam and
power station workshops will be going on and most of the hydropower
generating units and related high-voltage electrical apparatuses
would also be installed.
Wen vowed that the country will make every effort to improve the
living standards of residents and boost the economy in the Three
Gorges area.
The government will keep putting forward preferential policies
and practical measures to better finance the area's economic
development while urging governments of other provinces and regions
to offer help, he added.
Over 400,000 people in the reservoir areas are awaiting
relocation in the next six years, and over 720,000 residents have
already been relocated.
The country will impose rigid supervision on the quality of
construction and guarantee the safety of workers by improving
security measures and management, the premier said.
In the third phase of the project, 3,100-km alternating current
lines and 2,000-km direct current lines as well as an expansion in
power transformer and inversion capacities will be built.
While the third phase construction is moving on, efforts will be
made to protect the environment in the reservoir area and reduce
the damage of natural disasters, Wen said.
The country will keep dealing with water pollution and
preserving natural forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze
River while building a monitoring network for the environment of
the reservoir area, he added.
The management of the use of the reservoir and channels as well
as shipping and tourism in the area will be further improved, he
said.
The Three Gorges Project, with a total investment of 180 billion
yuan (US$21.77 billion), started in 1993 and is scheduled for
completion in 2009.
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2003)