Posted on June 22, 2026
By Ana Alice
Project in Xinjiang brings together record-breaking dam, billion-dollar reservoir, and digital technologies in a Chinese project focused on water, energy, irrigation, and water control in an extreme climate region.
The Dashixia Dam in Xinjiang has once again attracted attention outside China after entering the water storage phase and nearing hydroelectric operation.
The project features a structure 247 meters high, a reservoir exceeding 1.1 billion cubic meters, the use of artificial intelligence, operator-free equipment, and digital technologies applied to construction.
Located in the middle and lower course of the Kumarak River, in the Aksu region, the project is part of the Dashixia Water Control Project, aimed at supply, irrigation, flood control, power generation, and ecological water supply to the Tarim River.
According to Chinese sources, the reservoir began storing water in September 2025, a stage following the crowning of the main dam.
The crowning was completed on December 30, 2024, eight months ahead of the scheduled timeline, according to China Gezhouba Group Co., a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation.
The company reported that the structure is the tallest in the world in the sand and gravel model with a concrete face.
In total, the dam consumed 18.9 million cubic meters of materials, a volume that, according to the company responsible for the investment, would be enough to fill 7,560 standard pools.
The project was initiated in September 2021 and received an estimated investment of nearly 9 billion yuan, equivalent to about US$ 1.2 billion at the exchange rate reported by the Chinese press.
Dashixia Dam combines supply, irrigation, and energy
The Dashixia Project is part of the list of major water projects approved by the Chinese government for water conservation and supply.
SASAC, the State Council of China’s agency overseeing state-owned enterprises, classifies the project as one of the 172 national water economy and supply projects.
The dam is expected to contribute to the water supply of the Tarim River and irrigated areas of the Aksu River basin.
According to China Gezhouba, the project was designed to reduce water scarcity in the spring and benefit more than 533 thousand hectares of agricultural land.
In power generation, the plant associated with the project will have 750 thousand kilowatts of installed capacity.
The forecast released by the company indicates an annual production close to 1.9 billion kilowatt-hours when the system is in operation.
