|
Early Chinese revolutionist Sun Yatsen first proposed to dam on yangtze River in the year of 1919. In an article written in both English and Chinese, he illustrated the benefits of this project in terms of power generating and navigation.
|
Sun Yatsen
|
Sun's efforts to build the dam nearly come to true in the year of 1930 and 1932, but both failed due to an unstable political situation and fragile industry base.
The idea to dam the Yangzterive resurrected in 1944, when the US government promised a massive technological and financial aid. Preparation work went smoothly in the early stages as technicians of each country frequented across the Pacific Ocean. However, the 105.6 MW-project was forced to an end under a worsened domestic situation.
After 1949, late Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai showed great interests in exploiting the Yangtze River by reining it at the Three Gorges section. Inquiries and inspections were made by Chairman Mao to discuss a feasibility.
The Gezhouba project, the first dam project put into construction stage upon the Yangtze River, was launched in 1970. Not fully prepared, the Gezhouba suffered backfires in its early years, but experiences were collected.
More than 60 years after Sun Yatsen first raised the proposal of Three Gorges Project (TGP), then Premier Deng Xiaoping brought back to life the preparation work of TGP in early 1980's. Jiang Zeming speeded up the process as he took over the government in 1989.
In July 1991, the TGP preparation committee submitted a final report on kicking off the mammoth project to the Chinese State Department and later the Chinese National People's Congress.
The seventh People's Congress oked the proposal in its fifth plenary meeting on April 3, 1992. The nearly century-old project finally built up its strength to get a start. (China Daily)
Chronology
The following is a chronology of major events leading to construction of the world's largest water control project:
In 1918, Mr. Sun Yat-Sen suggested, in his book Strategy for State, Part II: Industrial Plans , a scheme to "improve the upstream from here", that is, "a dam should be set here to let ships go downstream and use the water resource as power."
In May 1945, Dr. John Lucian Savage, a famous American expert in dam construction arrived in Three Gorges and put forward his Preliminary Report on Development Plans of Three Gorges .
In Feb. 1950, Changjiang Water Resource Commission, a special governmental organization, was founded for the comprehensive management of the Yangtze River.
In 1955, a comprehensive planning of Yangtze River drainage area and investigation, research and design of Three Gorges project started, and most of the job concluded in 1957.
In Dec. 26, 1970, Gezhouba project was approved for construction, which started power generation in 1981, and totally completed in 1989, which can be seen as a test for the future Three Gorges project.
In Feb. 1982, Qian Zhengying communicated the instructions from the central government that TGP be listed in the recent national plan. And on 24, Nov, Deng Xiaoping, the former leader of China talked of the future Three Gorges Project in a meeting that "I myself prefer to the lower dam scheme. Be determined once be assured, do not hesitate".
In Feb.- March 1989, the Leading Group for Three Gorges Project Argumentation reviewed and approved the revised Feasibility Report of Three Gorges Project with normal storage level of 175 m , which indicates that the re-argumentation of the project concluded.
On April 3, 1992, The Resolution to Construction of Three Gorges Project was adopted at the 5 th meeting of the Seventh People's Congress , which indicates that the project entered in to the executive process from legislative process.
On Jan. 3, 1993, the State Council TGP Construction Committee was founded, which would include an executive office, a migrant relocation development bureau and the future China Yangtze Three Gorges Development Corporation (CTGPC).
On April 2, 1993, the State Council TGP Construction Committee defined the project management system and financing sources and approved the Regulations for TGP Migrant Relocation at the first meeting.
On July 29, 1993, the State Council TGP Construction Committee approved the Report of Preliminary Design of the Three Gorges Project forwarded by Changjiang Water Resource Commission the second committee meeting, which indicates the project entered into the overall preparation stage for construction.
On Sept. 27, 1993, China Yangtze Three Gorges Development Corporation (CTGPC) was, under the authorization of the State Council, founded in Yichang, Hubei province.
On Dec. 14, 1994, the Three Gorges project was officially started.
On Nov. 8, 1997, the river close-off succeeded, which indicates the construction target of phase I was completed. On 6 Nov 2002, the close-off of diversion channel succeeded. On 1 st June 2003, the reservoir began its storage, the water reached at 135m on 10 June and at 139m on 5 November.
On June 16, 2003, the trial navigation of ship lock succeeded. On 18 June 2003, the ship lock started to be open to all sorts of ships.
On July 10, 2003, the first generator unit began generating and connected to power grid. On 8 July 2004, the double-way and five-step ship lock passed acceptance by an official group (water level between 135-139m).
On April 25, 2005, the 12th generator unit began generating. Till June 30, 2005, Three Gorges power plant produced 68.1 billion KW·H in total, which wields a powerful function to relieve the pressure of national electricity gap, and a big promotion to the shape of national interconnection with trans-regional transmission.
At 8:00 am Sept. 8, 2004, Three Gorges project experienced a flood of 60500m³/s, the third largest autumn flood in Ynagtze history. This is the first time the project demonstrates its function of flood control by using modernized water regime forecast and monitoring means and scientific reservoir dispatching method, which succeeded withholding a flood of 0.5 billion m³ in the reservoir while assuring the project safety, normal construction and power generating.
Till 31 December 2004, the ship lock had 13105 operations in total, with 101.1 thousand ships, 2.808 million of passengers and 48.076 million tons of goods passing through. Ever since it was built , the ship lock has run well without major failures and satisfied met the navigation requirement of the Yangtze navigation with cargo increased by 2/3 compared to maximum level in the history.
|
