According to Xinhua News Agency, the founding ceremony of China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd. was held in Beijing recently. Zhang Guoqing, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and unveiled the company.

Zhang Guoqing pointed out that the establishment of China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd. is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee from a strategic and overall perspective. It is an important measure to implement the overall national security concept, the new energy security strategy and the Party’s Tibet governance strategy in the new era, and to ensure the smooth construction and operation of the Yaxia Hydropower Project. China Yajiang Group should adhere to quality first and safety first, focus on scientific and technological research and ecological protection, and promote project construction with a spirit of high responsibility for history and the people.

On July 19, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council issued an announcement on the establishment of China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd.

With the approval of the State Council, China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd. was established, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council will perform the duties of the investor on behalf of the State Council, and will be included in the list of enterprises for which the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council performs the duties of the investor.

According to the latest list of central enterprises, China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd. is ranked 22nd, ranking between China Three Gorges Corporation and State Energy Investment Group Co., Ltd., becoming the 99th central enterprise.

On the same day, the groundbreaking ceremony for the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River hydropower project was held in Linzhi City, Tibet Autonomous Region. Li Qiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, attended the groundbreaking ceremony and announced the official start of the project.

The newly formed China Yajiang Group will undertake the construction and operation tasks of the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River hydropower project, and become an important force in promoting the adjustment of the national energy structure and strategic layout.

The lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River hydropower project is located in Linzhi City, Tibet Autonomous Region. The project mainly adopts the development method of cutting bends and straightening and tunnel water diversion. It is planned to build 5 cascade power stations with a total investment of about 1.2 trillion yuan. The total installed capacity is 60 million to 81 million kilowatts, equivalent to three Three Gorges power stations, with an annual power generation of 300 billion kilowatt-hours, which can meet the annual electricity demand of 300 million people. It is planned that some units will generate electricity in 2030 and be fully put into operation in 2035. The power of the project is mainly transmitted and consumed, while meeting the local self-use needs of Tibet. In addition, it can replace 90 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 300 million tons each year, helping China to achieve its carbon peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060.

The Yarlung Zangbo River Lower Reaches Hydropower Project is a green project to promote low-carbon development, a people-oriented project to enrich the people and revitalize Tibet, and a safety project that adheres to ecological priority.

As a national strategic project, the project has multiple strategic values:

- The project will effectively increase the proportion of hydropower in China's energy structure, greatly improve China's power structure, promote the widespread application of clean energy, and help China achieve its carbon neutrality goal. After the project is put into operation, China's hydropower installed capacity will increase from 16% to 22%, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will exceed 35%, further accelerating the orderly withdrawal of coal-fired power capacity.

- The scale of this project is similar to that of the Three Gorges Project, and it has a significant pulling effect on the industrial chain (building materials, power equipment, etc.). It will drive the economic development of Tibet through infrastructure investment and create more than 100,000 jobs.

- Build and improve the local ecological environment monitoring network system, realize point-to-point development and surface protection, and achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Invest 28 billion yuan to build fish breeding stations, reserve 20% of ecological flow (1 times the national standard), apply AI biodiversity assessment system, and set up 30% natural rivers for fish migration.

- In response to India's concerns, China pointed out that the project is a run-of-river power station with a storage capacity of only 3% of the Three Gorges Project, and the water intake in China accounts for only 0.3% of the total water volume in the entire basin; reservoir regulation can also alleviate the flood and drought problems in India's downstream to a certain extent.

The Yarlung Zangbo River downstream hydropower project is not only a power station, but also embodies the national will and scientific and technological strength. It reshapes the power structure at the energy level, stimulates the endogenous power of Tibet at the economic level, and achieves a coordinated balance between ecological protection and geopolitical stability at the strategic level.

With the full operation of China Yajiang Group, this "century project" will not only greatly improve the development and utilization of China's hydropower resources, but also have a far-reaching impact on ensuring energy security, accelerating energy transformation, and promoting regional economic development.

Author：Qinger