The world's second largest hydropower plant has opened in China

More clean energy and discussions about possible environmental damage: The world's second largest hydropower plant has opened in China. Chinese government officials described the commissioning of the Baihetan hydropower plant as a milestone in the implementation of the government's climate neutrality goals in Beijing. Environmental associations and scientists, on the other hand, warned of possible environmental damage. The power plant with its 289 meter high dam in southwest China is only surpassed in its capacity for electricity production by the Three Gorges Dam, also located in China. Overall, Baihetan should be able to deliver 16,000 megawatts and thus produce enough electricity every day when fully operational to meet the energy needs of 500,000 people for a whole year, as the state news broadcaster CCTV reported. In the past few years, China has increasingly built hydropower plants in order to be able to meet the ever growing energy needs of the world's largest population. The dam of the Baihetan power plant extends through a deep and narrow valley in the upper part of the Yangtze River, the longest river in China. The power plant was built not far from the border between the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, where earthquakes occur again and again. In a congratulatory message published by the government, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his hope that the power plant would make "greater contributions" to the achievement of climate protection goals. The start of the Baihetan Dam testing phase coincided with the centenary celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party.