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The existing dam is China’s Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze. The enormous new hydropower project suggested by the headline is the Yarlung Tsangpo project in Tibet, for which The Wall Street Journal reported a $167 billion cost in 2025—not a verified official $165 billion budget. A separate Three Gorges navigation project began construction in 2026 and is reported to cost 77.2 billion yuan, about US$11.3 billion. The often-repeated claim that Three Gorges measurably lengthened the day by 0.06 microseconds is not established by the cited NASA material.
Did the Three Gorges Dam slow Earth’s rotation?
The claim refers to a tiny theoretical change in Earth’s rotation associated with the Three Gorges reservoir, not a noticeable slowing of the planet. The precise figure often repeated online—an increase in day length of 0.06 microseconds—was not substantiated by the NASA pages reviewed for this account. NASA’s material provides background on the dam, but it does not verify that specific number or establish it as a measured operational change. (NASA Earth Observatory; NASA)
In general, moving or storing a large mass can redistribute mass relative to Earth’s axis and therefore affect rotation. But a physically plausible effect or modelled estimate is not the same as a directly detected change. The available evidence here does not support presenting the 0.06-microsecond figure as a confirmed measurement.
What is China building for the reported $167 billion?
The headline’s colossal new structure most likely refers to the Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project in Tibet. A Wall Street Journal page dated August 12, 2025, reported a cost of $167 billion. That is a reported figure, not an official project budget established by the source cited here; the headline’s $165 billion figure is therefore not confirmed. The available source does not establish a project schedule or provide a more detailed budget breakdown. (The Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2025)
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This project is distinct from the existing Three Gorges Dam and from the new navigation works at Three Gorges. It is identified as a hydropower facility on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet; the available evidence does not provide enough detail to compare its engineering scope or generating capacity with Three Gorges.
China’s new Three Gorges project is for navigation, not Tibet hydropower
Construction began in June 2026 on a separate project at Three Gorges. China’s State Council describes a five-tier, dual-track ship lock north of the existing lock, together with navigation upgrades at Gezhouba. Its reported cost is 77.2 billion yuan, approximately US$11.3 billion. This is a waterway project, not the Tibet hydropower facility. (State Council of the People’s Republic of China)
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| Project | Location and river | Purpose and scope | Status and cost in the cited reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Gorges Dam | Yangtze River, China | Flood control, electricity generation, shipping and water-resource utilization | Declared complete and fully functioning in 2020; no cost figure is stated in the cited completion report. (State Council of the People’s Republic of China) |
| Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project | Tibet, on the Yarlung Tsangpo | Hydropower facility; further scope is not stated in the cited report | The Wall Street Journal reported $167 billion on August 12, 2025; an official budget and schedule are not established here. (The Wall Street Journal) |
| Three Gorges new waterway project | At Three Gorges on the Yangtze, with upgrades at Gezhouba | Five-tier, dual-track ship lock north of the existing lock and navigation upgrades at Gezhouba | Construction began in June 2026; State Council-reported cost is 77.2 billion yuan (about US$11.3 billion). (State Council of the People’s Republic of China) |
What Three Gorges has delivered—and what it has cost
China’s official 2020 account says the Three Gorges Project was complete and fully functioning, with roles in flood control, electricity generation, shipping and water-resource utilization. These benefits sit alongside substantial human and environmental consequences. (State Council of the People’s Republic of China)
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- Vintage 1956 Chinese cartoon depicting China and the Soviet Union working together to develop the Heilongjiang River and its hydroelectric resources.
- The dragon imagery turns the “Black Dragon River” into an “Electric Dragon River.”
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- Vintage 1956 Chinese cartoon depicting China and the Soviet Union working together to develop the Heilongjiang River and its hydroelectric resources.
- The dragon imagery turns the “Black Dragon River” into an “Electric Dragon River.”
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- NASA’s 2017 account says about 1.2 million people were relocated in connection with the Three Gorges Dam. (NASA Science)
- NASA describes concerns including landslides, sediment accumulation and biodiversity loss. It also reports that a 2010 study counted about 3,400 earthquakes and numerous landslides from mid-2003 through 2009 in connection with construction. That is NASA’s account of the study, not a finding that the dam caused every earthquake in the region. (NASA Science)
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