Zangmu Dam
Encyclopedia
The Zangmu Dam is a gravity dam currently under construction on the Brahmaputra River
9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of Gyaca in the Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
. The purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production using run-of-the-river technology. The dam is part of the Zangmu Hydropower Project and will support a 510 MW power station
. Construction on the dam began in 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2015. It will be the first dam on the Brahmaputra/Yarlung Zangbo River and has caused controversy in India, which lies downstream.
. During the 1980s and 1980s, work failed to commence in the basin. Currently, there are 28 proposed dams in the basin, Zangmu being the only one approved for construction.
In April 2009, China's Gezhouba Group
was awarded a $167 million contract for the Zangmu Hydropower Project. According to the company, the contract is for the design and construction of the dam along with its power house. The project will require 3400000 m³ (4,447,032.1 cu yd) of concrete and 8 million tons of aggregate
. Specifications for the dam are uncertain as China has not shared much information. On November 12, 2010, the construction reached coffer dam river closure.
has asserted that India is not concerned with the dam due to its run-of-the-river design. The dam though is being “widely interpreted as a clear signal” that more dams on the river will be built in the future.
, plunge pool and bottom outlet (for silt). On the dam's left bank, the retaining dam section with be 80 m (262 ft) tall and have the power plant sit at its toe. The entire dam will be 76 m (249 ft) wide at its base and 19 m (62 ft) wide at its crest. Sitting at the head of a 157668 square kilometre catchment area
, the dam's reservoir with have a daily active capacity (pondage
) of 86600000 cubic metre and normal reservoir elevation of 3310 m (10,860 ft). The dam's power station will contain six 85 MW Francis turbine
-generators for a total installed capacity of 510 MW.
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of Gyaca in the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production using run-of-the-river technology. The dam is part of the Zangmu Hydropower Project and will support a 510 MW power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
. Construction on the dam began in 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2015. It will be the first dam on the Brahmaputra/Yarlung Zangbo River and has caused controversy in India, which lies downstream.
Background
In 1972, the Chinese Academy of Sciences created the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Comprehensive Scientific Expedition which in part studied conditions in the river basin. The study concluded that 114,000 MW of hydroelectric power generation capacity could be established in the basin, 79,000 MW from the main stem alone. A more in-depth hydrological study began in 1980 which identified 12 sites for dams. It was envisioned that the dams could alleviate power shortages in LhasaLhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
. During the 1980s and 1980s, work failed to commence in the basin. Currently, there are 28 proposed dams in the basin, Zangmu being the only one approved for construction.
In April 2009, China's Gezhouba Group
Gezhouba Group
China Gezhouba Group Company Limited is one of the largest Chinese construction contractors and is based in Wuhan, Hubei.Gezhouba Group is primarily engaged in contract construction of projects...
was awarded a $167 million contract for the Zangmu Hydropower Project. According to the company, the contract is for the design and construction of the dam along with its power house. The project will require 3400000 m³ (4,447,032.1 cu yd) of concrete and 8 million tons of aggregate
Construction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
. Specifications for the dam are uncertain as China has not shared much information. On November 12, 2010, the construction reached coffer dam river closure.
Downstream concerns
As the Brahmaputra River flows into India and Bangladesh, China's plans to construct a dam on the river are not without controversy. Reportedly, China had previously denied that they were constructing a dam on the Brahmaputra River, even after the contract was awarded. In April 2010, Yang Jiechi, their Foreign Minister, officially revealed that they were in fact constructing the Zangmu Dam on the river. China has assured India that the dam is "a small project which will not have any impact on the river's downstream flow into North-East India." Indian officials such as the Arunachal Pradesh Power Minister Jabron Gamlin express that "China's constructing a dam is a cause of concern for us, but we are not certain how big this dam is and what affect it would have on people living downstream". Reportedly, China has refused requeststo reduce the height of the dam but Indian Minister of External Affairs S. M. KrishnaS. M. Krishna
Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna , generally referred to as S. M. Krishna, is the Minister of External Affairs and a member of the Indian Parliament from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to...
has asserted that India is not concerned with the dam due to its run-of-the-river design. The dam though is being “widely interpreted as a clear signal” that more dams on the river will be built in the future.
Design
The Zangmu Dam will be a 116 m (381 ft) tall and 389 m (1,276 ft) long concrete gravity-type. On its right bank will be the spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
, plunge pool and bottom outlet (for silt). On the dam's left bank, the retaining dam section with be 80 m (262 ft) tall and have the power plant sit at its toe. The entire dam will be 76 m (249 ft) wide at its base and 19 m (62 ft) wide at its crest. Sitting at the head of a 157668 square kilometre catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, the dam's reservoir with have a daily active capacity (pondage
Pondage
Pondage usually refers to the comparably small water storage behind the weir of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant. It is considerably less storage than the reservoirs of large dams and conventional hydroelectric stations which can store water for long periods such as a dry season or year...
) of 86600000 cubic metre and normal reservoir elevation of 3310 m (10,860 ft). The dam's power station will contain six 85 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators for a total installed capacity of 510 MW.