An aerial view of the Three Gorges Dam operated by China Three Gorges Corporation on the Yangtze River in Yichang, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo/IC]

The shipping throughput via the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project on the upper stream of the Yangtze River, reached a record high of 172.34 million metric tons in 2023, said its operator China Three Gorges Corporation on Thursday.

The figure marks a 7.95 percent increase from the previous year, it said.
The project generated 80.27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, a 1.88 percent increase compared to the same period last year, playing a pivotal role in ensuring a steady energy supply, said the company.

The project exhibited excellent operational performance throughout 2023, with comprehensive benefits in power generation, navigation and, ecology, it said.

The Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water-control system, consisting of a dam measuring 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, five-tier ship locks on the north and south sides, and 34 turbo-generators with a combined power generating capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts.