1. World's Largest Water Conservation Project

China's Three Gorges Project is the largest water conservation project in the world.

Taking the total amount of concrete work as one example, the Three Gorges Project totals 26.43 million cubic meters, 2.5 times the figure for the Gezhouba Barrage project and twice that of the Itaipu project in Brazil, which is currently the largest water conservation projects in the world. The main construction targets of the Three Gorges Project are:

-- Removing 102.59 million cubic meters of stone and earth and filling with 29.33 million cubic meters of stone and earthwork;

-- Mixing and pouring 27.15 million cubic meters of cement;

-- Erecting 281,000 tons of metal structures;

-- Making and erecting 354,000 tons of reinforcing bars;

-- Building 231,000 square meters of leak-proof concrete walls;

-- Installing power generators with a combined capacity of 18.2 million kilowatts.

China now boasts a contingent of approximately 250,000 workers employed in constructing the water conservation and hydropower projects. Their experience in building concrete gravity dams, hydropower plants, and large ship locks have prepared them to build the Three Gorges Project.

2. World's Largest Hydropower Plant

Upon completion, the Three Gorges Project will be the world's biggest hydropower plant in terms of both total installed capacity and annual average power generation volume.

Twenty-six turbine generator sets, with a per-unit generation capacity of 700,000 kilowatts, will be installed on the left and right banks of the Three Gorges Hydropower Station. The overall generation capacity is estimated at 18.2 million kilowatts. The annual power generation is estimated to average 84.68 billion kilowatt hours (KWH), equivalent to one-seventh of China's total in 1992.

The Three Gorges Hydropower Station will be hooked up with thermal power and hydroelectric grids in central and eastern China, thus improving the economy and reliability of the electric grids.

Moreover, China has mapped out state energy strategies by transporting coal resources in northern China to the southern regions and transmitting electricity generated from the western parts to eastern localities in a bid to ease the energy shortage in central and eastern China.

3. Three Gorges Project to Take 17 Years

The ongoing Three Gorges Project, which will be the world's largest water conservation facility when completed, will take 17 years to build.

Construction of the project consists of three stages.

The preparatory and first-phase projects spans five years from 1993-1997, whose completion is signaled by the damming of the Yangtze River on November 8.

The second phase will run from 1998 to 2003. This phase will be completed when the first generating unit in the left-bank power plant goes on line and the permanent ship lock begins operation.

The third phase is planned for 2004-2009. This final phase includes the completion of all 26 electricity-producing turbogenerators.

On October 14, 1997, the 63rd Executive meeting of the State Council set November 8 as the date to block the Yangtze River. That will mark the end of the first phase construction and the beginning of the second phase.

4. Fund sources

-- The Three Gorges Dam Construction Fund
-- Revenue Gezhouba Power Plant
-- Policy loans China Development Bank
-- Loans domestic foreign commercial banks
-- Corporate bonds