The tasks are the construction of the giant dam on the southern bank, workshops to house 12 generators, and the vertical ship lift, said an executive of the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation.

Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project, consisting of a dam, workshops for 26 generators and facilities for navigation, is being built in three stages.

Preparations and construction of the first phase were carried out between 1993 and 1997, and the second phase took from 1998 to 2003. The new phase features the reservoir's water storage, the operation of the first group of generating units, and the passage of ships through the permanent sluice gate.

About 70 percent of the Three Gorges Project, which is expected to cost 180 billion yuan (21.69 billion US dollars), has been completed.

The third phase of the project will see the water level reach the expected altitude of 175 meters.

Concrete pouring in dam construction on the southern bank would start soon and reach a peak in 2004, said the executive.

By May 2007, the 665-meter dam on the southern bank should be ready to hold water and the water level in the Three Gorges reservoir will rise to 156 meters. All civil engineering work on the southern bank will be finished by December 2007.

Installation of the 12 generators will start in December 2005. The first two generators will begin operation in 2007 and the others, by late December 2009.

The vertical ship lift is designed to expedite passage of passenger ships, and the details of its construction of are still under consideration. Building of the lift is expected to start in 2005 for service in 2009.

On completion, the lift will accommodate a ship up to 3,000 deadweight tons (dwt) or barges of 1,500 dwt. By 2009, the Three Gorges Project, where 26 power-generating units with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kw will be operational, will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.

(People's Daily June 21, 2003)