Up to the end of the year 2003, the hydropower installed capacity amounted to 94,896 MW, 10.25 per cent up as compared with the previous year. The annual electricity generation reached 281.33 TWh, 2.46 per cent up as compared with the previous year (Table 1). So far, the development and utilization rate of water resources in China reached 24.40 per cent. The hydropower installed capacity and electricity generation came out at the top in the world.

Table 1 Hydropower installed capacity and electricity generation in recent years 

With the advent of the 21st century, China steps into a fast track of hydropower development. In 2003 there were twenty-seven 40 MW and above hydropower units put into operation, among them ten units had single capacity over 200 MW. They were Nos.5 and 6 units in Dachaoshan Power station (250 MW each), Nos.4 and 5 units in Wujiangdu Power Station (224 MW each) and Nos.1 6 units on the left bank in Three Gorges Power Station (700 MW each) (see Table 2). Up to the end of 2003, China had more than two hundred and twenty 250 MW or above hydropower stations built up or under construction.

Table 2 Ten hydropower units (over 200 MW) put into operation in 2003 

In recent years, China saw a quicker increase of 40 MW and above hydropower units, adding up 311 units in 1999 (42,095 MW) and 388 units (55,696 MW) in 2003. Their installed capacity accounted for 57.69 per cent and 58.69 per cent of the hydropower total in the indicated years respectively (Table 3).

Table 3 Proportion of large hydropower units (40 MW and above) in total hydropower capacity