China has already altered the Earth’s rotation: now it’s planning something even more ambitious
A colossal hydroelectric dam project in China that seeks to revolutionize global energy production.
The Three Gorges Dam, a hydroelectric plant located on the Yangtze River in China, is the largest in the world in terms of both surface area and installed capacity. Its construction even had a measurable impact on the Earth’s rotation, slowing it ever so slightly—by about 0.06 microseconds—due to the redistribution of mass caused by the massive volume of water stored in its reservoir. It also shifted the planet’s rotational axis by approximately two centimeters.
Although these changes may seem negligible, they highlight the significant influence human engineering can have on the planet. And contrary to popular belief, China isn’t stopping there.
The Asian superpower has already begun construction on what is set to become the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Located in the Tibet region, this ambitious project aims to revolutionize global energy production.
Described by Chinese Premier Li Qiang as “the project of the century,” the dam is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo River—also known as the Brahmaputra—which flows through China, India, and Bangladesh. The new dam will be situated in Medog County, in the autonomous region of Tibet, and will harness a staggering natural drop of 2,000 meters over just 50 kilometers.
So, how much energy will it generate? The project will feature five cascading hydroelectric stations capable of producing 300 billion kilowatt-hours annually—three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam.
To achieve this, it will require a monumental investment of approximately $164 billion, significantly surpassing the budget of the previous record-holder.
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However, this colossal undertaking has raised concerns. Large-scale dams like this have already been shown to alter the Earth’s rotation and redistribute its mass, potentially affecting the planet’s delicate balance. With a dam of this magnitude, the pressing question is: what kind of impact will it have?
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