China Begins Construction on 60,000 MW Yarlung Tsangpo Mega-Project at the Great Bend in Tibet
China has officially broken ground on what is projected to be the world’s largest hydropower cascade — a 60,000 MW run-of-river system exploiting a 2,000-metre elevation drop over just ~50 km in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon.Key engineering highlights:
- 4–5 subterranean diversion tunnels (12–20 km each)
- Expected annual output ~300 billion kWh (nearly 3× Three Gorges)
- Estimated cost: $137–167 billion
- Located <30 km from the Indian border in a seismically active, hyper-biodiverse region
Full independent analysis with technical specs, timeline, environmental risks, and downstream implications for India and Bangladesh:
u/New_Leadership5348 — 15 hours ago