Three Gorges: 30 years of power and progress

The Three Gorges Project, the world's largest hydropower project, has generated over 1.7 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, marking the 30th anniversary of its construction on Saturday.

This amount is equivalent to saving 550 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.49 billion tonnes, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The project's first hydropower generator unit began operation in July 2003, generating electricity.

The project has intercepted floods nearly 70 times, demonstrating its comprehensive benefits and contributions to high-quality economic and social development.

It has improved navigation on the Yangtze River, with a cumulative cargo throughput of over 2.1 billion tonnes and an annual average economic benefit of 34.4 billion yuan ($4.78 billion).

The Three Gorges Project has regulated and supplemented water for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for 2,732 days, with a total water supplement of over 360 billion cubic meters, helping ensure drinking water supply and irrigation in these areas.

The ecological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir area has improved, with daily sewage treatment capacity increasing by 1.58 million tonnes. Forest and grass coverage in key areas has also increased, with a forest coverage rate exceeding 50 percent, enhancing soil and water conservation capabilities.