China's Three Gorges hydropower project generated 61.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, about 25 percent more power than in 2006, company sources said on Tuesday.

To date, the hydropower station had transmitted 207 billion kwh of electricity to 11 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions since it started operation in July 2003.

Currently, 21 turbines were operational with a total installed capacity of 13.3 million kw. Five more turbines would be added by year-end, according to its operator, the China Three Gorges Project Corporation.

The US$22.5 billion project was launched in 1993 in the mid-section of the Yangtze, China's longest river.

Originally, its plan called for the 26 turbo-generators to produce 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually upon its scheduled completion in 2008. It was now to be expanded further to include six more turbines by 2012.

All About Three Gorges project, Yangtze River

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2008)