China Invests $11.4 Billion in New Locks for the Three Gorges Dam

New Lock System Planned for the Yangtze River

According to НВ — Техно: A massive $11.4 billion project to construct new locks at the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Station on the Yangtze River has been unveiled. Designed to dramatically boost the facility's annual cargo capacity to 336 million tons, this initiative is part of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026 to 2030. The new two-way locks will stretch 6,680 meters in length and feature five sequential stages, with construction expected to take 112 months-over nine years.

Since the Three Gorges Dam began operations in 2003, its existing locks and ship lift have become a critical bottleneck for freight traffic. According to China’s Ministry of Transport, even the most optimistic forecasts failed to anticipate the surge in passenger and cargo volumes on the Yangtze. In 2011, cargo throughput at the existing locks first exceeded the design capacity of 100 million tons, and by 2025, the dam’s annual capacity had already reached 173 million tons.

Economic Significance of the Project

The Yangtze River waterway supports over 40% of China’s total economic output and spans 11 provinces and municipalities, home to nearly half the country’s population. Liu Weiping, President of the Three Gorges Group-which operates the dam and will manage the new locks-stated that the project will greatly enhance the implementation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt development strategy and bolster domestic economic circulation.

Building new locks on the Yangtze is a strategic move to alleviate congestion and increase freight flow in a region vital to China’s economy. The project’s inclusion in the five-year plan underscores the government’s focus on infrastructure as a driver of growth and regional integration. Given the river’s role in powering a substantial share of national economic activity, successful completion of this venture could have far-reaching effects on the future of cargo and passenger transport in the area.