<Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Three Gorges Dam 三峡 大 坝 </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> The dam in September 2009 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Location in Hubei </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Country </Th> <Td> China </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Sandouping, Yiling District, Hubei </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Coordinates </Th> <Td> 30 ° 49 ′ 23" N 111 ° 00 ′ 12" E ﻿ / ﻿ 30.82306 ° N 111.00333 ° E ﻿ / 30.82306; 111.00333 Coordinates: 30 ° 49 ′ 23" N 111 ° 00 ′ 12" E ﻿ / ﻿ 30.82306 ° N 111.00333 ° E ﻿ / 30.82306; 111.00333 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Purpose </Th> <Td> Power, flood control, navigation </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Status </Th> <Td> Operational </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Construction began </Th> <Td> December 14, 1994 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Opening date </Th> <Td> 2003 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Construction cost </Th> <Td> ¥ 203 billion (US $31.765 billion) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Owner (s) </Th> <Td> China Yangtze Power (subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Dam and spillways </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Type of dam </Th> <Td> Gravity dam </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Impounds </Th> <Td> Yangtze River </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Height </Th> <Td> 181 m (594 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Length </Th> <Td> 2,335 m (7,661 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Width (crest) </Th> <Td> 40 m (131 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Width (base) </Th> <Td> 115 m (377 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Spillway capacity </Th> <Td> 116,000 m / s (4,100,000 cu ft / s) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Reservoir </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Creates </Th> <Td> Three Gorges Reservoir </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Total capacity </Th> <Td> 39.3 km (31,900,000 acre ⋅ ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Catchment area </Th> <Td> 1,000,000 km (390,000 sq mi) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Surface area </Th> <Td> 1,084 km (419 sq mi) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Maximum length </Th> <Td> 600 km (370 mi) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Normal elevation </Th> <Td> 175 m (574 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Power Station </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Commission date </Th> <Td> 2003--2012 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Type </Th> <Td> Conventional </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Hydraulic head </Th> <Td> Rated: 80.6 m (264 ft) Maximum: 113 m (371 ft) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Turbines </Th> <Td> 32 × 700 MW 2 × 50 MW Francis - type </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Installed capacity </Th> <Td> 22,500 MW </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Capacity factor </Th> <Td> 45% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Annual generation </Th> <Td> 87 TWh (310 PJ) (2015) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Three Gorges Dam 三峡 大 坝 </Th> </Tr>

When did they start building the three gorges dam