Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday inaugurated a $168 billion mega hydro complex on the Brahmaputra river, known as Yarlung Tsangpo in China. The massive project has raised concerns for downstream countries India and Bangladesh.
The mega-dam, Yarlung Tsangpo River Lower Reaches Hydropower Project, will be developed by the newly formed China Yajiang Group. With five cascade dams, it will be used mainly to generate power, most of which are expected to be exported to other regions.
The massive structure will be far bigger than the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central China. In 2023, a report estimated that the mega-dam will generate over 300 billion kWh electricity annually to fulfill the requirements of 300 million people.
Saturday's ceremony was organised in Nyingchi City. The hydro complex is touted to be part of China's carbon neutrality goals and bring development in the region.
India has raised the matter with China several times in the past, including in 2023 when Beijing first announced the dam project. In March 2025, MoS for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh revealed in the Parliament that New Delhi called on Beijing to respect India's interests.
The upcoming project comes 10 years after China operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station in Tibet in 2015.
While approving the project in December, Chinese Foreign Ministry said the dam would not "negatively impact" on downstream region and promised regular communication with lower riparian countries.
Environmentalists have also raised concerns about constructing such a mammoth infrastructure in one of the key biodiversity hotspots in China. The dam, which comes up in one of the rainiest parts, has stoked fears of occasional flooding.