Last weekend, China began construction of the world's largest hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet. The mega project will provide 300 billion kWh of electricity per year, which is three times higher than the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric dam, and almost 10 times the power output of all hydroelectric dams in Malaysia.
The project was launched by Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on Saturday with an estimated construction cost of 1.2 trillion Yuan (~RM 709 billion). It is still unknown when the project will be fully completed. Although built in China, the electricity generated will be for external needs. The construction of the dam has been planned since 2020 and was only approved by the government in December 2024.
The construction of the dam has caused diplomatic tensions with India and Bangladesh because the Yarlung Tsangpo River supplies water to the Brahmaputra River, which flows through both countries. There are concerns that China will block water to the Brahmaputra when this dam is completed.