Sichuan Aims to Become A Major Power HouseSichuan Province, in southwest China and rich in hydropower resources, has worked out an ambitious plan to build itself into a leading power base in China.According to official sources, the combined designed capacity of large scale hydropower stations in the province totals 76 million kilowatts, involving a total investment of 410 billion yuan (49.39 billion U.S. dollars). The planned projects include 14 hydropower stations each with an installed of over two million kilowatts, 27 hydropower stations each with an installed capacity of one million to two million kilowatts, and 41 each with an installed capacity of more than 500, 000 kilowatts. Sichuan has 737 rivers, each with a waterpower reserves of more than 10,000 kilowatts, and their combined commercial exploitable reserves total 67.11 million kilowatts, or 27 percent of the national total. Officials from the departments concerned of the central government, Sichuan provincial officials in charge of waterpower development and experts recently approved a preliminary plan to build the Jinping Waterpower Station on the Yalongjiang River. The station will have an installed capacity of 3.3 million kilowatts and generate more than 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually upon completion. Currently, a group of large hydropower stations are under construction and studies on other major projects are being carried out in the province. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |