The temporary cofferdam at the site of the third-stage of construction of the Three Gorges Dam is to be demolished on June 6, said China Three Gorges Project Corporation.

The section above 110 meters of the cofferdam will be demolished on June 6 and preparations for the blasting operation have been completed, said a source with the company's news center, adding the removal means the mammoth project will formally begin its role in flood control.

The cofferdam, a key temporary structure in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, came into operation in 2003. It generated power for construction crews in the earlier period of on-land construction of the dam's right bank.

With 580 meters in length and 140 meters at its maximum height, it is also known as the Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) cofferdam.

As the concrete placement of the dam's right bank is to be completed this June, the RCC cofferdam is no longer needed.

Some 200,000 cubic meters of concrete will be removed during demolition. Explosives have been placed 35 meters under water making the blast extremely difficult, said the company.

Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project, is a 185-metre-high dam that will house 26 generating units on both banks of the Yangtze River. It is expected to be completed in 2009 and to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually.

Source: Xinhua