China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170  billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the ceremony took place at the dam site of Nyingchi's Mainling hydropower station in Tibet Autonomous Region.

China has commenced construction on a massive dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River, raising concerns in India and Bangladesh about potential downstream impacts. The dam's scale poses risks of flooding and water control,