Fresh concerns triggered by the devastating glacial collapse along the Nepal-China border are unlikely to sway Beijing’s plans to go ahead with the construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, or the Brahmaputra River, in a seismically active region in Tibet near the border with India.
China has already opened one major dam on the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo at Zangmu. The report quoted design engineer Zhang Lianming as saying the fishway would likely be used for future projects. A total investment of 1.2 trillion Yuan (around ₹14 lakh crore) was announced for the construction of five power stations. The water will be diverted at the top of the great bend into an approximately 40-km-long tunnel, Mr.
At a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2025, China’s second-ranked leader and Premier Li Qiang, who travelled to Nyingchi, announced the start of construction of what he called “the project of the century”. A State media report earlier this month lauded the construction of the dam, saying it had “provided a solution to nearly 26 percent of electricity demand in Southwest China’s Xizang [Tibet] Autonomous Region”, the report said, detailing an elaborate “fishway” designed to help fish move between upstream and downstream sections. it will also involve the construction of a reservoir While the project has been described as a “run-of-the-river” dam. Fishman wrote on his Substack, “Crossing the River”, as its descending force powers five 12-GW powerhouses before rejoining the river. Asked about the project, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said last year that Beijing “always maintained a highly responsible attitude toward transboundary river development and has rich experience in hydropower project development”. He said the “construction of the project is beneficial for disaster prevention and mitigation throughout the entire river basin and will not have adverse effects on downstream areas”. “China has conducted hydrological reporting, flood control, and disaster reduction cooperation with relevant downstream countries and has also engaged in necessary communication regarding the project,” he said.
This is likely to be located in the town of Mainling, upstream of Nyingchi, a prefecture-level city that is also home to a key airport, according to an analysis published on Wednesday by David Fishman, a Shanghai-based analyst writing on energy who looked at reports of relocations to ascertain the likely location.
Underscoring the importance accorded to the plan, China’s Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing visited Nyingchi in Tibet, near the border, in April this year.
“We must shoulder the principal responsibility for project‑building and build this landmark mega project of the new era,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the government would “put quality first, safety as the foundation, strictly enforce construction standards and ecological‑environmental‑protection requirements, and keep construction progress subordinate to quality and safety.”
