China's power station in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River has exceeded 3 Three Gorges

 Pictured: The scale of the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River exceeds the "three Three Gorges". The picture shows the flood discharge of the Three Gorges Dam. \Xinhua

Recently, the Chinese government approved the lower Brahmaputra hydropower project. At a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on the 6th, a reporter asked about India's concern about China's construction of a large dam in Tibet. In this regard, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said that China's construction of the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River hydropower project, after rigorous scientific demonstration, will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, geology and water rights and interests of downstream countries, but will be conducive to downstream disaster prevention and mitigation and climate change to a certain extent.

Some analysts believe that the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River, which exceeds the scale of the "Three Gorges", will become the largest infrastructure project in human history, which is of great significance to China's green and low-carbon transformation and energy self-sufficiency.

At a previous press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also said in response to questions from Indian media that China has always adhered to a responsible attitude towards cross-border river development. The development of hydropower in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River aims to accelerate the development of clean energy and respond to climate change and extreme hydrological disasters. The development of Yaxia hydropower has been studied for decades, and there are corresponding safeguards in terms of engineering safety and ecological environmental protection, which will not adversely affect the downstream. China will continue to maintain communication with downstream countries through existing channels, strengthen cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation, and benefit the people of the basin.

The water drop is more than 5,000 meters, the largest in the world

The Brahmaputra River is 2,057 kilometers long in China, divided into three sections: upstream, middle and downstream, with a drop of an astonishing 5,435 meters, making it the largest river in the world. Its downstream is about 496 kilometers long from Pai Town in Milin County, Tibet to the border of Motuo County, accounting for 24% of the total length of the Brahmaputra River (in China).

According to mainland media reports, the water energy reserves of the Brahmaputra River are about 110 million kilowatts, and the total installed capacity of the main stream is more than 80 million kilowatts, mainly concentrated in the downstream. The midstream plan is developed according to the "one reservoir and nineteen levels", with a planned installed capacity of 5.25 million kilowatts and an annual power generation of 25.8 billion kilowatt-hours; The downstream river section is planned to have a total installed capacity of 81.04 million kilowatts and an annual power generation of 405.2 billion kilowatt-hours.

It is reported that as early as November 2020, China's "14th Five-Year Plan" and the 2035 long-term goals clearly proposed "the implementation of hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River". In August 2024, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development", proposing to accelerate the construction of hydropower clean energy bases in southwest China. In December, the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River hydropower project were officially approved.

It will generate more than 20 billion yuan of annual income for Tibet

Yan Zhiyong, former chairman of China Power Construction Group Co., Ltd., once said that the development of hydropower in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River is not only a hydropower project, but also an ecological project and a national security project. At the same time, it is also a livelihood project. After the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River are put into operation, they can increase Tibet's fiscal revenue by more than 20 billion yuan (RMB) every year.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the lower Brahmaputra hydropower project is a green project to promote low-carbon development. The project uses the rich water energy resources of the Brahmaputra River to drive the development of surrounding solar and wind energy resources, and builds a clean energy base with complementary water, wind and light, which is a major measure for China to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy. Chen Zuyu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, once predicted that the Brahmaputra River can support the safe integration of 240 million kilowatts to 250 million kilowatts of "wind and solar" new energy into the power grid.

The construction of hydropower projects in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River will directly drive the rapid development of local engineering construction, logistics and transportation, business services and other industries, and will create new jobs. After the completion of the project, it will improve the level of infrastructure such as electricity, water conservancy, and transportation, strengthen the development docking of Tibet and other regions, and bring more sense of gain, happiness and security to the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet.

The project will adhere to ecological priority. Through a large number of geological exploration and technology accumulation, a solid foundation has been laid for scientific, safe and high-quality development projects. Relying on the construction of the project to improve the local ecological environment monitoring network system, realize point-to-point development, surface protection, and realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

Expert interpretation: Peak adjustment ensures water supply in downstream areas

Regarding the development and construction of hydropower in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River, a number of experts said that during the planning and construction, a long period of research has been conducted to ensure that the flood control and ecology of the downstream area are not affected, and the river water can be adjusted to offset peaks, which is conducive to improving the ability to respond to extreme disasters in the region.

It is reported that the Brahmaputra River is called the Brahmaputra River after leaving the country, and after flowing through India and Bangladesh, it merges with the Ganges River and flows into the Indian Ocean.

Jiang Yunzhong, director of the Water Resources Research Institute of the China Academy of Water Resources and Hydropower, once said that upstream reservoir regulation can not only regulate runoff to reduce downstream extreme flood disasters, but also enhance the flow of downstream rivers during the dry season, which is conducive to improving the response capacity to regional extreme disasters and improving the water use guarantee rate in downstream areas.

"Taking the Brahmaputra River as an example, the development and utilization of water resources and hydropower development in our country have not adversely affected the downstream Brahmaputra River, which is generally beneficial." Yao Wei, president of the Water Conservancy Planning Institute of Yangtze River Design Group, said that in terms of flood control, the flood season will be beneficial to the flood control of the downstream Brahmaputra River through the regulation of reservoirs in China; In terms of water volume, the water consumption in the Brahmaputra River Basin in China accounts for only 0.3% of the total basin, which accounts for a very small proportion and does not affect the water intake of downstream countries and regions.

Tibetan electricity is delivered across regions to create wealth, reduce carbon emissions, and develop with high quality

The hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River is a green project to promote low-carbon development. Some experts said that after the completion of the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River, with the development and efficient use of a large number of clean energy, the construction of a multi-energy complementary energy base will greatly reduce the interference of human activities on the natural environment, reduce the consumption of fossil energy, create wealth and reduce carbon emissions, and achieve high-quality development. This will play a positive role in the ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and even the entire region.

Every year during the wet season, with the increase of water from various hydropower stations in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the power grid of Tibet gradually surpluses, which can be transmitted through inter-provincial channels. In December last year, Tibet sent Beijing to close the 2025 green power transaction, with 15 million kilowatt-hours of pre-traded electricity. This marks the successful conclusion of the first green power transaction for Tibet to send to Beijing, and is also the first time that Tibet's green power has been delivered across regions, which is expected to create economic benefits of 4.2 million yuan (RMB) for Tibet, and help Beijing reduce standard coal consumption by 4,600 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 11,500 tons.

It is reported that since the first "Tibetan electricity transmission" in 2015, Tibet has delivered 15.79 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy, created economic benefits of more than 4.2 billion yuan for Tibet, reduced coal by 4.85 million tons, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 12.08 million tons, and reduced sulfur dioxide by 360,000 tons.

Counting Tibet's hydropower resources

China's hydropower reserves exceed 676 million kilowatts, the largest in the world

The theoretical reserves of water energy resources in Tibet exceed 200 million kilowatts, accounting for 30% of the country's total, ranking first in the country

In the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra River, a 50-kilometer straight-line distance forms a drop of 2,000 meters, which is the world's largest water energy enrichment