Editing Three Gorges Dam (section)

=== Generator installation progress ===
The first north-side main generator (No.&nbsp;2) started up on July 10, 2003. The north side became completely operational on September 7, 2005, with the implementation of generator No.&nbsp;9. Full power (9,800&nbsp;MW) was eventually achieved on October 18, 2006, after the water level reached 156&nbsp;meters.<ref>{{cite news | archive-date=May 31, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531164747/http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2006-10/18/content_416256.htm | url=http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2006-10/18/content_416256.htm | title=Three Gorges Dam | publisher=Government of China | date=October 18, 2006 | access-date=May 15, 2007 | language=zh | url-status=live}}</ref>

On the south side, main generator No.&nbsp;22 started up on June 11, 2007, and No.&nbsp;15 became operational on October 30, 2008.<ref name="ctgpc1" /> The sixth (No.&nbsp;17) began operation on December 18, 2007, raising capacity to 14.1&nbsp;GW, exceeding that of Itaipu dam (14.0&nbsp;GW) to become the world's largest hydro power plant by capacity.<ref name="Ctgpc20080505">{{cite news | url=http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=28253 | language=zh | script-title=zh:中国长江三峡工程开发总公司 | publisher=[[China Three Gorges Corporation]] | website=ctgpc.com.cn | date=May 5, 2008 | access-date=August 9, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207081802/http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=28253 | archive-date=December 7, 2008 | trans-title=The stability of domestically produced large-scale generator sets continues to improve | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | publisher=China Three Gorges Corporation | website=ctgpc.com.cn |date=June 20, 2008 | access-date=December 6, 2008 | language=zh | archive-date=December 7, 2008 | script-title=zh:三峡右岸电站19号机组完成72小时试运行 | trans-title=Unit 19 of the Three Gorges Right Bank Power Station has completed a 72-hour test run |url=http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=28982 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207081809/http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=28982 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=29089 | language=zh | script-title=zh:中国长江三峡工程开发总公司 | trans-title=Unit 16 of Three Gorges Right Bank Power Station put into operation | publisher=China Three Gorges Corporation | website=ctgpc.com.cn | date=July 4, 2008 | access-date=August 1, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210074930/http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=29089 | archive-date=February 10, 2009 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | publisher=China Three Gorges Corporation | website=ctgpc.com.cn | date=August 22, 2008 | access-date=December 6, 2008 | language=zh | archive-date=January 20, 2012 | script-title=zh:三峡23号机组进入72小时试运行 | trans-title=Three Gorges Unit 23 enters 72-hour trial operation | url=http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=29622 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120120009/http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/sx/news.php?mNewsId=29622 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

When the last main generator (No. 27) finished its final test on May 23, 2012, the six underground main generators were all operational, raising the capacity to 22.5 GW.<ref name="autogenerated5" /> After nine years of construction, installation and testing, the power plant was fully operational by July 2012.<ref name=inventspot /><ref>{{cite web | language=zh | script-title=zh:三峡地下电站30号机组充水启动 | trans-title=Unit No. 30 of Three Gorges Underground Power Station filled with water and started up | url=http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/xwzx/news.php?mnewsid=48315 | publisher=Three Gorges Corporation | date=July 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714012036/http://www.ctgpc.com.cn/xwzx/news.php?mnewsid=48315 | archive-date=July 14, 2011 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | archive-date=October 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004153446/http://finance.ifeng.com/stock/roll/20110704/4224188.shtml | url=http://finance.ifeng.com/stock/roll/20110704/4224188.shtml | title=Three Gorges underground power station water-filled start the third unit successfully put into operation in July plans | publisher=Fenghuang Wang | access-date=July 10, 2011 | language=zh | url-status=dead}}</ref>