YICHANG, May 13 (Xinhua) -- About 100 new hydro-electric plants will be built on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its numerous branches in the forthcoming two decades.

    Cao Guangjing, deputy general manager of China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation (CYRTGPDC), said there would be an unprecedented favorable development opportunity in hydro-electric development in the future 20 years.

    In accordance with an energy development program laid down by the state, 12 hydro-electric mega-bases will be constructed in development of hydro-electric resources in western China, where hydro-electric resources abound.

    China leads the world by hydro-electric reserves, estimated at 492 million kw, of which, only 100 million kw have been explored, far behind that in developed countries.

    And the biggest of the 12 planned hydro-electric mega-bases will be constructed on the Jinsha River, the upper reaches of the Yangtze, where one sixth of the country's hydro-electric reserves exist.

    Altogether 12 hydro-electric plants will be built on the JinshaRiver, with the installed capacity totaling 58.58 million kw, three times the generating capacity of the Three Gorges Project.

    The CYRTGPDC executive said his corporation had been entrusted with the mission to pilot the hydro-electric development at the the lower reaches of the Jinsha River by constructing four hydropower plants there.

    Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project, including the dam and 26 generators on both banks of the Yangtze, is planned to be completed in 2009. The project, with a total installed capacity of 18.2 million kw, will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually upon completion. Enditem