NANNING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- A miter gate larger than that of the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, began installation Friday in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Upon completion, the miter gate, part of the ship lock of the Dateng Gorge water conservancy project, is expected to greatly improve navigation on the Xijiang River and boost the regional economy.

Each hinged side of the miter gate, which opens from the middle to allow ships to pass, is 47.5 meters high, 20.2 meters wide and 1,295 tonnes in weight.

"It's nine meters taller than the highest miter gate of the (multi-gate) Three Gorges Dam which holds the world record," said Yang Qixiang, general manager of the Datengxia Water Conservancy Development Co., Ltd.

On Friday morning, two large cranes lifted one part of the gate onto the ship dock, marking the start of the 8-month installation process.

It took over 40 days for ships to transport the oversized gate parts from the Wuhan port on the Yangtze River through the East China Sea and the South China Sea to reach the Xijiang River.

Located in the city of Guiping, the Dateng Gorge hydro dam is designed for multiple purposes from flood control, navigation to power generation. In particular, it will reduce river salinity during the dry season, improving the quality of water supplied to Pearl River Delta cities including Macao.

Its operation will also allow larger ships to ply in the river and raise the river's annual freight volume from 13 million tonnes to 54 million tonnes, according to Yang.

The water conservancy project is estimated to finish construction in 2023. Enditem

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