China has officially started building a massive dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet. This river flows near India’s Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the project during a ground-breaking ceremony held in Nyingchi City. Notably, China calls the Brahmaputra the Yarlung Zangbo.

The ceremony took place at the Mainling hydropower station site. According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, this event marked the formal start of the project.

Regional Concerns Grow

China describes the project as the world’s biggest hydropower development. However, it has raised serious concerns in India and Bangladesh. These two countries depend on the Brahmaputra’s downstream flow. Therefore, they fear the dam may affect their water supply.

In total, China will build five hydropower stations as part of this project. The estimated total investment stands at around 1.2 trillion yuan (about USD 167.8 billion).

Project Promises Huge Power Output

According to a 2023 report, the project will generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year. In other words, this energy will be enough to serve more than 300 million people annually.

Moreover, China plans to use most of this electricity outside Tibet. At the same time, some power will meet local demands in the Tibet region, which China officially refers to as Xizang.

Officials and Locals Witness Ceremony

Representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Power Construction Corporation of China attended the launch event. Locals from the area also participated in the ceremony.

While China promotes this dam as a major achievement, India and Bangladesh are closely monitoring the project. After all, both countries remain concerned about its possible impact on their water resources.