In addition to 1800 MW of new generation capacity, the Xiaolangdi project regulates water flows on the Yellow River, providing irrigation, protection against ice, reduction of sediment, improved quality of water supply, and above all flood control. On completion flood protection on the lower reaches will be raised from the current 60 years to the 1000 years level.

Hatch Energy, as part of Canadian International Project Managers (CIPM), worked with the Yellow River Conservancy Commission of the Government of China to review design documents and to prepare a 13-volume Project Brief for appraisal by the World Bank. During the construction phase Hatch Energy supplied a wide range of services, including completion of detailed design and preparation of construction drawings, finalization of tender documents, setting up of QA and inspection programs, provision of technical advice on many aspects of construction, and resettlement planning and supervision for the 181,000 persons displaced by the dam and the reservoir behind it.