Local officials say the station in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will eventually produce 15.67 billion kwh annually with a generating capacity of 4.2 million kilowatts during its initial development stage.

Half of the electric power to be produced will be transmitted to neighboring Guangdong province, where a power consumption ceiling system has been introduced in 20 cities despite construction of many coal-fired power stations.

Guangdong, where thousands of plants churn out electronic products for the world market, reports nearly 4 billion yuan in direct losses each year due to carbon dioxide and acid rain arising from coal burning at power stations.

Located on the upper reaches of the Hongshui River, the major tributary of China's third largest river, the Pearl River, the Longtan station will be the second largest station in China after the Yangtze Development Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River in terms of power generating capacity.

Experts say Longtan is projected to increase Guangxi's gross domestic output (GDP) by five billion yuan a year after being put into operation.

The hydraulic power will be about 50 percent cheaper than the power produced by coal and oil burning stations in Guangdong.

Pan Jiazheng, a leading water resource expert, said the station will be very important for China's ongoing program to transmit electric power from southwest China, which is rich in hydroelectric resources, to the economically developed coastal areas in south China.

Guangdong, whose gross domestic output is equivalent to that of Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou combined in southwest China, accounts for only 3.5 percent of the hydroelectric resources in the region.

The station, which will also facilitate flood control in south China, is listed among 10 landmark projects for China's ambitious program to develop the impoverished western region.

(Xinhua News Agency 07/02/2001)