If China's Three Gorges Dam Collapses, 9 Nuclear Reactors Would Be Flooded... Authorities Say "No Notable Risk"

The Three Gorges Dam, located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, China, released a large volume of water through its spillway on the 17th (local time). The Yangtze River basin has experienced heavy rainfall for over a month. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Amid ongoing concerns over the collapse of the world's largest artificial dam, the Three Gorges Dam in southern China, due to heavy rains, claims have been raised that if the dam overflows or collapses, it could even affect South Korea. This is because several nuclear power plants are concentrated downstream of the Yangtze River, which the Three Gorges Dam crosses.

There are nine nuclear reactors installed in the Shanghai area downstream of the Yangtze River. If the Three Gorges Dam collapses due to water pressure or overflows, it could also damage these nuclear power plants. If the nuclear plants are flooded, the reactor cooling functions could stop working, causing the nuclear fuel to melt and radioactive materials to leak, resulting in widespread damage.

Regarding this, Professor Park Chang-geun of the Department of Civil Engineering at Kwandong University said in an interview with TBS Radio's "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory" on the 24th, "(The Three Gorges Dam) is the largest dam in the world," adding, "If it collapses, enormous damage could occur. There are also many nuclear power plants, but I believe the Chinese government has prepared for such scenarios."

Concerns about the collapse of the Three Gorges Dam have been raised since last month when record-breaking heavy rains poured in southern China. The dam first exceeded the flood limit water level on the 20th of last month and has maintained a dangerous level of water inflow since then. According to Chinese media such as Hong Kong's "Apple Daily," as of the afternoon of the 19th, the water level of the Three Gorges Dam was recorded at 164.18 meters, leaving only 10.82 meters before reaching the dam's maximum water level of 175 meters.

Chinese authorities have attempted to control the inflow by blasting two nearby levees to release water, but the water level has hardly decreased due to the heavy rains.

Given the situation, some netizens have expressed anxiety, fearing the dam might collapse or overflow. On Chinese online communities, photos showing distortions in the dam's steel structure have been shared under the title "Three Gorges Dam Collapse Theory."

However, the Chinese government has dismissed these claims as baseless. A representative of the state-owned company "Changjiang Three Gorges Group," which manages the dam, explained in an interview with Chinese media "Global Times" on the 20th, "There has never been any deformation in the dam, and there are no other notable risks," adding, "If the Three Gorges Dam did not exist, flood control downstream of the river would be in a much more difficult situation."

Meanwhile, the Three Gorges Dam, located near Yichang City in Hubei Province, China, crosses the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world. It has a total length of 2.3 km and a reservoir capacity of 39 billion tons, making it the largest in the world. The hydropower generation capacity through the dam is also the largest globally, at 22.4 million kW.

The Yangtze River, where the Three Gorges Dam is located, is densely populated with major Chinese cities and grain-producing areas. Chongqing is upstream, while Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai are downstream. If the dam collapses and these areas are submerged, the Chinese economy would suffer severe damage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.