Medog Hydropower Station

The Medog Hydropower Station (Chinese: 墨脱水电站) or Motuo Hydropower Station is a planned 60,000 megawatt (MW) hydroelectric dam project under development on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Upon completion, it will become the world's largest hydropower facility, with an anticipated annual power generation capacity of 300 billion kilowatt-hours—triple that of the Three Gorges Dam. The Chinese government authorized the dam's construction in December 2024, with an estimated investment exceeding 1 trillion yuan (approximately US$137 billion). The project is intended to be developed as a single-phase installation, with commercial operations planned for 2033.
The facility is planned to be constructed in Medog County within the Nyingtri Prefecture, situated near the Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh. The dam site is intended to be located along the lower sections of the Yarlung Tsangpo, which originates in western Tibet's glacial regions. This watercourse continues into India as the Brahmaputra River and into Bangladesh as the Jamuna River, serving as a crucial water source for these regions.
The Medog Hydropower Station represents part of China's broader hydroelectric development strategy in Tibet. Since 2000, China has initiated or proposed 193 hydropower projects in the region, with approximately 60% still in planning or preparatory phases. As of late 2024, while construction approval has been granted, specific details regarding the project's commencement and completion timeline remain unpublished. The Chinese government has not yet released comprehensive environmental impact assessments or detailed implementation plans for the project.
The project is wholly owned and developed by Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), a state-owned construction enterprise. Commercial operations were planned to begin in 2033. With a projected investment more than quadruple that of the Three Gorges Dam (which cost 250 billion yuan), the Medog Hydropower Station represents one of China's most ambitious infrastructure projects and one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in history. The facility's planned annual power output of 300 billion kilowatt-hours would establish it as the world's most productive hydroelectric installation, significantly surpassing current records.
The project intends to harness a 2,000 meter river elevation drop within a 50-kilometer stretch, granting it the ability to generate significant amounts of hydroelectric power. This section flows through the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, recognized as Earth's deepest canyon system. The intended construction plan necessitates the excavation of four 20-kilometer tunnels through Namcha Barwa mountain to divert the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
The project has faced resistance from various parties, which include environmental organizations, downstream nations, and Tibetan rights groups. Similar hydroelectric developments in Tibet have previously sparked protests, including recent demonstrations against the Kamtok Dam project on the Drichu/Yangtze River that led to over 1,000 arrests. India and Bangladesh have also voiced apprehension about the project's potential effects on their water resources.
Tibetan rights organizations characterized the project as an example of resource exploitation at the expense of Buddhist cultural heritage and local communities.
While specific displacement figures remain undisclosed, the project will necessitate population relocation in the affected area. For comparison, the Three Gorges Dam project resulted in approximately 1.4 million relocations, although the Medog region's lower population density suggests fewer displacements may be required. The development threatens to impact culturally significant sites in what Tibetans consider one of their most sacred regions. According to the International Campaign for Tibet, the 193 combined projects in the region could potentially displace over 1.2 million people and affect numerous religious sites if completed.
Environmental organizations have identified several potential ecological consequences of the project. Many expressed concern about project's impact on the Tibetan Plateau's biodiversity. The region that will be impacted by the dam is recognized as one of Tibet's most ecologically diverse areas, leading to fears about ecosystem disruption.
The dam's construction is expected to significantly alter downstream water flow patterns and impact local biodiversity. The project site's location in a seismically active zone prone to landslides has raised additional safety concerns, as the reservoir's water mass could potentially influence geological stability. The steep, narrow topography of the gorge caused geological experts to warn about increased landslide risks. In 2022, engineers from the Sichuan provincial geological bureau specifically highlighted the dangers of "earthquake-induced landslides and mud-rock flows" as significant threats to the project's stability.
Chinese state media has characterized the project as environmentally conscious, emphasizing its role in advancing Beijing's climate neutrality objectives while promoting regional economic development. Chinese officials maintained that the project will have minimal environmental impact, though specific impact assessments remain unpublished.
The project has generated apprehension among downstream nations regarding water security. Hydrological experts have drawn parallels with China's previous dam projects on the Mekong River, where upstream water control has been associated with increased drought frequency and severity in downstream regions over the past twenty years. Critics noted that India and Bangladesh could face compromised water access, biodiversity disruption, and riverbank erosion akin to those faced by Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia from earlier Chinese hydroelectric projects.
A 2020 analysis by the Lowy Institute indicated that China's control over Tibetan Plateau rivers could potentially provide significant geopolitical leverage over India's economy. Indian authorities responded to the project by exploring countermeasures, including the potential development of their own large-scale hydroelectrical dam and reservoir system to mitigate the dam's impacts. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted in 2020 that China maintains a "legitimate right" to dam the river, stating they have considered downstream effects in their planning.