The potential for the Three Gorges partnership is huge. Refer...

The potential for the Three Gorges partnership is huge. Refer below.

CHINA THREE GORGES PLANS USD 77BN ENVIRONMENT INVESTMENT

From Infranews 19 April 2021

Power company China Three Gorges plans to invest a total of CNY 500bn (USD 77bn) on environmental projects in the country from 2021 to 2025, according to an official.

The state-owned company's environment unit plans to develop rooftop solar projects on its water treatment and supply plants, Li Wei, vice general manager of China Three Gorges-owned Yangtze River Ecology Environment told the China Environment Forum today. The forum is an annual event held to discuss China’s environmental sector.

The company has already developed a combined 22 MW of distributed solar power facilities on the rooftops of its seven sewage management plants in central China as demonstration projects, he said, adding that the firm aims to become a provider of an integrated portfolio of water management and clean energy solutions. The plan is part of the company’s efforts to help China reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

In terms of project financing, China Three Gorges will look to leverage the USD 13bn China's National Green Development Fund, which last year secured commitments from the country's four largest commercial lenders by assets, with an investment focus on energy and water projects in regions along the Yangtze River. Additionally, the Wuhan, Hubei-based company is also looking to expand its water recycling business, especially in terms of industrial projects, Li said.

“We plan to launch a portfolio of integrated environment projects in industrial parks along the Yangtze River, with a focus on waste and water recycling,” he said. The company is looking to partner with private sector investors to develop water supply networks across 40 cities along the Yangtze River between 2021 and 2025. “The sewage treatment sector has reached the saturation point in China,” Li said as he explained the company's future focus on water supply and recycling, adding that it therefore needs to map out other areas for investment.

China Three Gorges launched its environment unit three years ago, with a total investment of more than CNY 140bn as of March 2021. Its water plants have a total treatment capacity of 1,100 tonnes/day while the company’s water supply network totaled 20,000km, Li said.