The trial operations of a permanent ship lifting machine on the Three Gorges Dam have begun. The machine was designed by a Chinese and German team and according to the China Three Gorges Corporation, is expected to be the world's largest and most sophisticated ship lift.
The vertical-hoisting elevator is designed to help small and medium-sized ships traverse the dam, while having a maximum displacement power of about 3,000 tonnes. The water levels behind the dam are up to 113 meters higher than those found downstream.
The ship-lift has been installed to complement the five-tier ship lock next to it, which is also the world's largest and has been facilitating the passage of ships since 2003.