Volume 11-1 Jan.-Feb., 2000 - University of Kentucky Center

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Vol. 11, No. 1, 2000
THE WHOLE DAM STORY: A Review of the
China Yangtze Three Gorges Dam
Don Challman
UK Center for Applied Energy Research
PART I OF A II P
ART SERIES
PART
The article that appears below is the first
installment of a two-part article on the
China Yangtze Three Gorges Dam. This
first installment describes the principal
arguments for and the benefits of constructing the dam. Part two, which will appear in
the next edition of Energeia, describes the
arguments against the project and its
impact on the natural and social environment of the Yangtze River Basin.
Three Gorges Dam. It promises
substantial public benefit, but brings
with it significant consequences or
trade-offs. Neither the proponents nor
detractors will tell you the “whole dam
story.” My purpose in writing this
article is to do just that: to review the
arguments for and against - the benefits
and the costs of - constructing this dam.
You can make up your mind about the
wisdom of the venture.
Chinese people. Now, along with the
Great Wall of China, space travelers will
be able to see the dam etched on Planet
Earth from deep in outer space. It may
one day be counted among the Modern
Wonders of the World, along with their
ancient counterparts. But will it stand
the test of time? Critics of the dam have
described it as “the most environmentally and socially destructive project in
the world.”
INTRODUCTION
“I’m going to tell you the whole
dam story,” says the gentleman
ranger of the Interior Department.
How often have those who’ve had
the opportunity to tour the nation’s
large dams – Hoover, Grand Coulee,
Glen Canyon - heard that expression? And, I suspect the expression is
much overused at the world’s other
large dams.
Some marvel at these massive
structures as engineering wonders that
provide inestimable public benefit –
things like flood control, water supply,
hydroelectric power, improved navigation and water recreation. Yet others
don’t share this appreciation and have
doubts about the ability of humankind
to effectively harness nature, particularly the power of the world’s mighty
rivers. They decry the damming of any
free-flowing stream because of the
irretrievable changes that are caused –
things like the loss of important fishery
resources, the inundation of arable land,
the destruction of antiquities and
archeological sites, and of course, the
displacement of indigenous peoples.
Such is the case of China’s Yangtze
Artists rendering of the Yangtze Three Gorges Dam Project*
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Spanning the banks of the venerable
Yangtze River in central China at the
small fishing village of Sandouping of
Yichang City, Hubei Province, you will
find what has been often described as
the largest dam project in the world –
the China Yangtze Three Gorges Dam.
The dam, now over half constructed, is
nothing less than a monumental
undertaking, a massive public works
project which attests to the ingenuity
and engineering prowess of the
‘Large’ is a relative term, and in this
case the physical dimensions (height,
width and fill volume) of the Three
Gorges Dam are not the defining
characteristics. Neither is its reservoir
capacity or the size of the watershed
drainage area. The dam, which will be
of a conventional concrete gravity type,
will stand approximately 575 feet high
above the river channel (equivalent to a
60-story building), and will have a span
of nearly 1.5 miles across the Yangtze the third largest river in the world
behind the Nile and Amazon. However,
(continued, page 2)
1
The Whole Dam Story (cont.)
the Three Gorges Dam is not the tallest
nor widest dam in the world. There are
at least 60 taller dams, many twice the
height of the Three Gorges Dam, and
there are many others whose span and
volume are larger. Canada’s Syncrude
Tailings Dam has the largest fill volume
(540 million cubic meters), many times
larger than the Three Gorges. The
Hoover Dam on the Nevada-California
border is significantly taller (standing
726 feet above the Colorado River), but
has a span of less than a quarter of a
mile. Grand Coulee Dam in the State of
Washington is perhaps the most
comparable in size, standing 550 feet
with a span across the Columbia River
of nearly one mile. The Three Gorges
Dam is not the largest dam ever
constructed. However, it can be
characterized as the largest hydroelectric project in the world [see Electric
Power Generation below].
When complete in 2002, the
Three Gorges Dam will create
an immense deep water
reservoir 373 miles long and
inundating 244 square miles of
rural land and population
centers in the upper reaches of
the Yangtze from the municipalityregion of Chongqing (population
35 million) to Yichang City. In this
section of the river, the Yangtze will
become more lake than river. By
the official count, as many as 13
major cities, 140 towns, and 326
peasant villages will be submerged in
whole or in part by the impoundment, necessitating the resettlement out
of the floodplain and onto higher
ground of from 1.0 to 1.3 million
people. Thousands of factories, businesses, temples, shrines and antiquities
– some as old as 6000 years - will be
moved or lost beneath the deep waters.
Substantial agricultural acreage will be
taken out of production in what can be
considered China’s “breadbasket.”
and the River (1988) author Lyman P. Van
Slyke offers:
“If one wishes to understand China,
one must have some familiarity
with the history of the Three
Kingdoms [of Wei, Shu and Wu]
and with the lore that surrounds it.
Above all this is true on the middle
and upper reaches of the Yangtze
where it seems that every bend in
the river leads to another site
associated with this epoch and to
the stories that have grown around
it like the layers of a pearl around
its grain of historical fact. If the
events seem complicated and the
stage crowded with unfamiliar
actors, that too is part of China’s
reality. One might as well seek to
know the Greeks without the
Trojan War or the English without
Shakespeare.”
low-lying land dotted with numerous
large lakes and eventually a flat delta
plain on its 1,180-mile course from
Yichang to the estuary at Shanghai
where it dumps into the Yellow Sea. The
area covers 48,649 square miles, nearly
half consisting of rich agricultural land
and the balance urban areas. The region
supports a population of over 75
million, and because of its fertile
agricultural land and abundant water
resources is known as the “Land of Rice
and Water.” The region is well known
for its frequent and severe floods.
Records indicate more than 200
devastating floods over 2000 years. In
the 20th century, four severe floods
(1931, 1935, 1949, 1954) led to huge
property damage and loss of life, the
latter exceeding 350,000. As recently as
1998 the region was subjected to major
flooding when substantial rainfall led to
record-breaking river heights at Wuhan
and other downstream communities.
Last summer the region was again
visited by severe flooding. Four
thousand people lost their lives and
significant property damage occurred.
Accompanying each flood, additional
casualties and human suffering are
associated with the spread of disease,
including epidemic encephalitis B,
leptospirosis and schistosomiasis
carried by insect, rodent and
shellfish hosts.
By the official count, as many as
13 major cities, 140 towns,
and 326 peasant villages will be
submerged in whole or in part by the
impoundment, necessitating the
resettlement out of the floodplain
and onto higher ground of
from 1.0 to 1.3 million people.
Moreover, the dam will partially
inundate some of the most spectacular
vistas found on the planet, the 120-mile
stretch of the Yangtze River flowing
through the majestic limestone canyons
and peaks of the legendary Qutang, Wu
and Xiling Gorges – some towering
4000-5000 feet. The beauty of the area
has been the inspiration of Chinese
poets and artists dating to the Xia
Dynasty (2205-1766 BC), and it is this
passionate and almost mythical
attachment to the Yangtze down
through the ages that adds fuel to the
current debate about the Three Gorges
Dam. Writing in Yangtze: Nature, History
PUBLIC BENEFITS
Irrespective of size, the question is why
build a dam, any dam that will wreak
such havoc on the inhabitants and
environment of a river basin? According
to the Chinese government, the primary
and most compelling reason for the
Three Gorges Dam is to control the
frequent and devastating floods in the
middle and lower reaches of one of the
most treacherous rivers in the world.
The dam will also provide secondary
benefits associated with cheap and clean
electric power and improved navigation
and waterborne commerce. Each of
these will be discussed, along with the
principal concerns advanced by the
opponents.
FL
OOD CONTROL AND DAM
FLOOD
SAFETY
The middle and lower reaches of the
Yangtze widen and flow through flat,
At present, the region’s safety
and flood prevention relies
entirely on miles of main dikes
and back levees constructed to
resist medium and minor floods of a
10-20 year frequency. The Three Gorges
Dam will serve as the backbone of
improved flood control. With a flood
control storage capacity of nearly 18
million acre-feet, the Three Gorges Dam
is intended to raise the flood control
standard to that of a 100-year flood.
Forty-five floodgates will comprise its
spillway for regulating water levels in
the reservoir for flood control purposes
(and power and navigation). When all
the gates are open, the spillway will
have a discharge capacity of 102,500
cubic meters/second and will accommodate the discharge of the possible
maximum flood.
The performance of the dam in controlling floods has been the subject of lively
debate among experts inside and
outside of China. Moreover, concerns
have been raised about the adequacy of
the temporary coffer dams around the
construction site, potentially unusable
navigation facilities and the possible
catastrophic failure of the main dam
(continued, page 3)
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The Whole Dam Story (cont.)
after its completion. The concerns
center on the adequacy of engineering
studies of the river’s sediment load and
rock strength properties of the underlying bedrock. Sedi-mentalogists have
argued that the sediment loads in this
exceptionally muddy river, aggravated
by intensive deforestation and cultivation along its steep banks, have been
grossly underestimated. The fear is
that greater sediment loads, along
with the slower flow rates caused
by the impoundment, will lead to
a faster build-up of silt, especially
against the structure, which could
cause floods to over top the dam.
Seismologists have argued that
fractures and fissures in the underlying bedrock could lead to seepage
beneath and around the dam,
compromising its stability. Some fear
that the weight of the impoundment
could trigger a fault line that lies
beneath the area, causing a massive
earthquake and possibly rupturing the
dam. (One resident opined that “The
dam will take 17 years and $17 million
to construct, but could be brought
down in 17 minutes by an act of war.”)
under conditions that are practically
untested and never before tested in
such a large structure.” The largest
dam to operate like this is China’s
Sanmenxia Dam, one-fifth the size of
the Three Gorges. The sediment load at
Sanmenxia is said to have been underestimated as well and silting is now
considered serious. The operating
energy needs for an economy and
population that is growing rapidly, and
which is presently highly dependent on
burning fossil fuels, primarily coal. The
dam will supplant the need for at least
15 large coal-burning power stations
and three large-scale coal mines each
with an annual coal production of 15
million tons. Compared with the output
of conventional coal-fired thermal
electric plants, the Three Gorges Dam
will displace about 45-50 million
tons of raw coal combustion
annually. This is good news for
the Chinese whose cities are
choked with soot and smog;
pulmonary disease is the number
one cause of death in China and
respiratory problems are chronic
among urban Chinese. This is also
good news for the globe. China is
the world’s second highest
producer of regional acid rain and
transglobal greenhouse gases. The
reduction in coal use associated with the
Three Gorges Dam will translate into a
corresponding annual reduction in
emissions of acid-rain and greenhouse
gases equal to 100 million tons of CO2, 2
million tons of SO2, 10 thousand tons of
CO, 370 thousand tons of NOx, as well
as a large amount of wastewater and
solid wastes. The dam is viewed by
China’s leaders as a partial means of
meeting the country’s growing demand
for electric power, critically needed to
fuel economic growth and for improving living standards. Moreover, given
the mandates of the 1992 Rio conference on the environment and the Kyoto
Protocol on climate change, the dam
helps to reduce China’s reliance on
fossil fuels, move to a low-carbon
economy, and live up to its obligations
among nations to reduce harmful
emissions.
According to the Chinese
government, the primary and most
compelling reason for the Three Gorges
Dam is to control the frequent and
devastating floods in the middle and
lower reaches of one of the most
treacherous rivers in the world.
The Chinese government counters that
the dam was constructed with a useful
life of 100 years and, based on its
models and calculations of the sediment
load, silting over the period is expected
to consume only 8-14 percent of the
reservoir’s capacity. Rock strength has
been characterized as of ‘relatively high
stability as the dam will sit on a completely rigid landmass of crystalline
rock and no major active faults have
been identified in the area.’ Ostensibly,
sedimentation will be lessened and
controlled through periodic dredging,
and more so through the effective
operation of the dam, which, as
described by the Chinese, involves
‘discharging the turbid and impounding
the clear.’ During the flood season when
the river carries the largest portion of
its annual sediment load and run-off,
the reservoir will be drawn down to a
level which facilitates sediment sluicing
and a large discharge of sediment out of
the bottom outlets. At the end of the
flood season, the reservoir will be
raised to enhance power production
and navigation. Critics point out that
there is little experience in operating
dams like this; only 17 in the world
operate similarly, none as large as the
Three Gorges. Perhaps the most
eminent US expert on reservoir
sedimentology, Luna B. Leopold,
Emeritus Professor of Geology at UCBerkeley, has stated that “The Three
Gorges Dam is designed to operate
scheme has also been deemed counter
intuitive to the dam’s purposes – to
control floods, generate electric power
and improve navigation. The critics
have noted that the project’s costs and
disruption could be minimized by the
fortification of existing dikes and with a
series of smaller dams in less populated
tributaries and in the headwaters of the
Yangtze. The restoration of the region’s
many lakes, lost to unchecked urban
sprawl, could also provide the natural
storage they once did for the Yangtze’s
floodwaters.
ELECTRIC POWER
GENERA
TION
GENERATION
A second purpose of the Three Gorges
Dam is to produce much needed power
for Central and East China and the area
east of Sichuan Province – all relatively
impoverished areas lacking in economic
development. The dam has a nameplate
electricity generating capacity of 18,200
MW, making it the largest hydroelectric
facility in the world. The dam will
employ twenty-six hydro turbine
generators, each with a capacity of 700
MW, and each equivalent to a mediumsized nuclear reactor in output. General
Electric Canada, ABB and Siemans
turbines will be employed for the first
16 units, with the make and manufacture of the remaining to be decided
later (presumably of Chinese manufacture). The companies will provide
construction, initial start-up and
operational assistance, after which the
facilities will be turned over to the
electric utility managing the dam.
The dam is intended to provide
approximately 10 percent of China’s
3
Critics counter that, like flood control,
they don’t believe the dam will meet
performance expectations relative to its
electricity output; the dam has a
guaranteed capacity of just over 4000
MW. They have raised concerns that the
sediment load may clog drainage
outlets and foul key components of the
hydroelectric stations. The dam’s
electricity output will also be dependent
on the mode of operation of the
reservoir, again suggesting that the
operational needs for flood control,
navigation and power generation may
be incongruous. Those closest to the
situation - Chinese journalists, scientists
and activists - have again suggested that
a series of smaller dams in the headwaters or along less populated tributaries
of the Yangtze could provide both
(continued, page 4)
The Whole Dam Story (cont.)
needed power and flood control
benefits, without the disruption
associated with a large dam on
the main stem of the river.
Flood control benefits aside,
environmentalists have been
quick to point to energy conservation, cogeneration, biomass
and other renewable energy
sources (excepting hydro) to meet
China’s energy needs. However,
while modest gains can and
should be expected here, these
are unlikely to meet China’s
future energy requirements. At
current growth rates, China will
need an additional 17,000 MW per
year for the next decade. And,
while China’s economy will
continue to be driven by a mix of
energy resources, it will be
principally dependant on its
abundant coal resources. This has
led some to suggest that China’s
energy requirements might be better
served by building (at a fraction of the
dam’s cost) the additional coal-fired
electric power stations that are needed.
In addition, they point to the employment of new advanced coal technologies; for example, Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle which involves
coal gasification to generate electricity
more efficiently through gas and steam
turbines and to permit more effective
gas clean up. The advantages include
greater flexibility in fuel selection,
higher thermal efficiencies and superior
environmental performance. China’s
energy needs and mandates to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions could be
achieved by other means.
Map of the Three Gorges Dam Project*
the Yellow Sea to Chongqing, potentially making the city the largest inland
port in the world. The ship lift is being
constructed to speed river traffic
through the dam for smaller 3000-ton
cargo ships and passenger boats since
the estimated time through the stairstep lock could be as long as 2 hours, 20
minutes. With the regulation of the
water level in the reservoir, river flows
below the dam will be considerably
deeper permitting improved navigation
NA
VIGA
TION AND WA
TER
NAVIGA
VIGATION
WATER
COMMERCE
Another important purpose of the
Three Gorges Dam is to improve
navigation along the river’s 1500-mile
course inland to the interior of China
from Shanghai to Chongqing. The
permanent navigation structures at the
dam will consist of a double-way fivestep ship lock and a single one-stage
vertical hoisting shiplift. The facilities
will permit a five-fold increase in
shipping from the present 10 million
tons up to an annual one-way passing
capacity of 50 million tons, bringing
with it much needed economic development and prosperity. Shipping costs will
also be reduced dramatically, by as
much as 35 percent. The dimensions of
the ship lock are intended to accommodate 10,000-ton ocean-faring ships
traveling from the mouth of the river at
in the middle reach of the Yangtze
during the dry season. The dam is also
expected to lead to the development of
reservoir fisheries and a robust tourism
industry, improve water quality and
protect lake areas downstream, and be
employed in a south-to-north water
diversion plan to irrigate arid cropland
in Northern China.
The critics counter that the problem of
sediment loads may create shifting
sandbars and channels, which could
impede ship traffic. The dam may also
obstruct, rather than improve, navigation by making shipping vulnerable to
an untested lock system, which would
hold up traffic every time there was a
mechanical failure. The mode of
reservoir operation has also been
judged inconsistent with navigation
needs. The need to draw down the
reservoir during the flood season will
allow more water to pass through the
dam, raising the water level in the
middle and lower reaches. There are
serious concerns about whether large
ships will be able to clear some bridges
with the elevated river heights caused
by operation of the reservoir.
Don Challman, CAER Associate Director
for Administration, visited China and the
Three Gorges Dam last fall as part of an
invited delegation co-sponsored by People to
People International and the American
Society of Public Administration.
Passing thru the Three Gorges on the Upper
Reaches of the Yangtze
4
* Environmental Impact Statement for
the Yantze Three Gorges Project,
Science Press, Beijing.
by Scott Beveridge
Of all humankind’s inventions, none offers
greater power to people like you and me than
the internet. It’s a tool all of us should be using
whether we are young or old, male or female,
rich or poor. Why? Simply because it is within
our reach and because its potential to help us
progress as individuals can’t be duplicated by any
other means. Here are some examples:
PROFES SIONAL DEVEL
OPMENT
DEVELOPMENT
On the net, you can easily find information about
schools, seminars, conferences and trade
associations. Find companies that are doing your
kind of work and learn what’s new in your field.
A great deal of training is available online. Some
of it is very inexpensive or free.
Find exactly what you are looking for and the
links that refer you to other sources. Many state
government web sites can help employers with
training programs and links to other sources.
standing before long rows of computers sending
and receiving email messages. Over five million
messages were sent to their homes and offices in
countries around the world during that four-day
event.
NETWORKING AND MEETINGS
EDUCA
TION
EDUCATION
The internet is a great place to network, to check
up on who is doing what with which company
and where it is all happening. Most conference
sites now provide hotel and conference registration online. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
With internet technology, individuals rapidly
gather, evaluate, use and communicate information. If your student can gather information on
the internet in sixty minutes — when it takes
another student six to ten times longer to gather
information conventionally — who is more likely
to succeed at school?
PUBLICA
TIONS
PUBLICATIONS
Many journals now offer abstracts or complete
articles online. Some upstart journalists even
began their journals online — without any paper
copies in circulation. The many advantages this
offers both publishers and readers are: quickness
(no printing or mailing delays); no paper trail (to
take up valuable drawer space); and the potential
to be interactive.
INTERESTS
COMMUNICA
TION
COMMUNICATION
THE FUTURE
During recent congressional hearings, one hightech executive testified that over one trillion
email messages were sent last year. It has
become as basic a part of the work day as getting
the morning cup of coffee.
The internet is in its infancy. Its potential to help
us progress as individuals can’t be duplicated by
any other means. It’s there for all of us to step up
to and use in good and productive ways.
Don’t delay!
One indelible sight at a recent Comdex computer
show in Las Vegas was that of show attendees,
A shorter version of this article first appeared in
Coal People, September, 1999.
In addition to the obvious professional aides
provided by cyberspace, it is also the hobbyist’s
delight. Whether it be genealogy, current events,
health news, or shopping ‘til the mouse drops,
the internet offers an overwhelming array of
sites to peruse.
5
October 7-10, 2001, Lexington, KY USA
This symposium will focus on the scientific study and
process engineering of deactivating catalysts, as well as
their regeneration.
Preliminary Topics include:
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Carbon Deposition and Coking
Sintering and Thermal Degradation
Modeling and Kinetic Studies
Characterization of the Working Catalyst
Deactivation/Regeneration in Industrial Processes
Deactivation in Environmental Applications
Poisoning
For more information contact:
Burt Davis
UK Center for Applied Energy Research
2540 Research Park Drive
Lexington, KY 40511-8410
tel (606) 257-0251 fax (606) 257-0302
http://crtc.caer.uky.edu/iscd/formregs.htm
Energeia is published six times a year by the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER). The publication features aspects of energy
resource development and environmentally related topics. Subscriptions are free and may be requested as follows: Marybeth McAlister, Editor of Energeia,
CAER, 2540 Research Park Drive, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40511-8410, (606) 257-0224, FAX: (606)-257-0220, e-mail: [email protected].
Current and recent past issues of Energeia may be viewed on the CAER Web Page at www.caer.uky.edu. Copyright © 2000, University of Kentucky.
Non-Profit Organization
UNIVERSITY
OF KENTUCKY
U.S.Postage
PAID
Lexington, Kentucky
Center for Applied Energy Research
2540 Research Park Drive
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky 40511-8410
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