Plans are afoot to massively increase the capacity of the world's largest hydro project.

The China Three Gorges Project Corp (CTGPC) said this will happen within the next 15 years with the building of four more hydro plants on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

China is vigorously pushing the growth of hydropower, in a move to cut its heavy reliance on coal and oil. Currently two hydro plants are in operation along the river, with a combined capacity of 12.5 GW (gigawatts). When all the plants are in operation, capacity is expected to be 63.6 GW.

"We will build the four hydropower plants at Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Baiheban and Wudongde, four places along the Jinsha River on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River," said Li Yong'an, the CTGPC's president. He was speaking on Friday after a ceremony marking the operation of all 14 generators on the left bank of the Three Gorges. The last of the 14 units began formally operating yesterday, one year earlier than scheduled.

The company is building 12 generators on the right bank of the Three Gorges. There are now plans to add six more there.

The remaining generators are scheduled to be operational by 2008, one year earlier than planned, Li said.

The biggest and smallest of the four new power plants on the upper reaches, which have been approved by the central government, are expected to go online by 2013 and 2011, Li said.

(China Daily September 17, 2005)