Environmental assessment for hydropower plant

BEIJING -- The Ministry of Environmental Protection has given an assessment for the construction of a major hydropower plant in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Shuangjiangkou hydropower plant will have a total installed capacity of 2 GW, with annual power generation to reach 7.93 billion kilowatt-hours upon completion.

The project will affect the spawning and movement of rare fish species, as well as the growth of endangered plants, including the Chinese yew, which is under first-class state protection, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry suggested countermeasures to help mitigate the plant's effect on the environment. The measures include protecting fish habitats in tributaries, building fish ladders and increasing fish breeding and releasing, as well as constructing seed banks for rare plants and cultivating them artificially.

Waste treatment facilities will be built in order to protect the environment while local residents are relocated, the statement said.

The project is estimated to cost about 27.3 billion yuan ($44.2 billion), about 1.46 billion yuan of which will be used to cover the cost of environmental protection efforts, the statement said.