The largest power plants in the world

A power plant is an industrial facility that generates electricity from primary energy. Most power plants use one or more generators that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, supplying power to the electrical grid for society’s electrical needs.

They run on water, atomic energy, natural gas, and wind power. Here are some interesting facts about the world’s most powerful power plants.

Top 10 largest power plants in the world

1. Three Gorges

The Chinese Three Gorges hydroelectric power plant, built on the Yangtze River in 2003, is the most powerful in the world. Its maximum capacity is an impressive 22,500 MW, which puts it far ahead of the rest of the planet’s stations. By comparison, Russia’s most potent power plant, the Sayano—Shushenskaya HPP, has a capacity of only 6,400 MW. The station’s dam is equipped with 32 main turbines.

The Three Gorges serves as a power plant and a hydroelectric plant that increases the capacity of the Yangtze River and protects the valley from flooding. In addition, the Chinese hydroelectric power plant is also the heaviest building in the world—a solid concrete dam weighs more than 65.5 million tons.

The construction of the Three Gorges affected not only the locals (about 600,000 people were evicted from neighboring areas), but also the entire planet. NASA estimated that the rise of 39 billion tons of water to a height decreased the Earth’s rotation speed, which made the day longer by as much as 0.06 microseconds.

2. Itaipu

The second place in the list of the largest power plants in the world is occupied by the Itaipu hydroelectric power station on the Paraná River in South America. The hydroelectric power plant is the closest competitor of the Three Gorges in terms of capacity, although it is much inferior to it. The power plant has a capacity of 14,000 MW. Still, regarding annual electricity generation, Itaipu almost does not lag behind its Chinese brother, producing up to 103 billion kWh annually. Interesting fact: This is the first power plant in the world to generate 100 billion kWh per year.

The hydroelectric power station’s peculiarity is that it was built by two states—Brazil and Paraguay—and the monumental structure benefits both countries. Itaipu covers more than 90% of Paraguay’s electricity needs and 20% of Brazil’s.

3. Xiluodu

A hydroelectric power plant is also in third place in the top-10 ranking. The Xiluodu hydroelectric power station on the Jinsha River in China is quite comparable to Itaipu in terms of maximum capacity (13,860 MW). Visit .A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. Each generator at the plant generates a capacity of 770 MW, more than the capacity of the entire Hoover Dam in the United States. Xiluodu differs not so much in size as in height. The structure rises above sea level at 380-600 m.

4. Belo Monti

The Belo Monti hydroelectric power plant was built on a tributary of the Amazon, the Xingu River, most recently in 2019. The authorities have wanted to build the building since 1975, but because of its negative environmental impact, they had to deal with environmentalists for a long time. The planned surface area of the Belu-Monti reservoir was reduced from 1,225 km2 to 440 km2 to reduce flooding of Bakai Indigenous settlements.

The Brazilian HPP has a capacity of 11,233 MW, making it the second largest in South America and the fourth largest globally. However, due to the unstable river current, the station’s guaranteed capacity is only 39% of its maximum.

5. Gansu Wind Farm Complex

China’s Gansu Wind Farm Complex is the only representative of the renewable energy sector on the list. The wind farm began construction in 2009, and new generators are still being added. It consists of 40 separate stations along the Gobi Desert, where very strong winds blow.

The complex in Gansu province may become one of the most powerful power plants in the world, with a capacity of over 20,000 MW. The current capacity of the wind farm is 10,450 MW.

6. Guri

The Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Power Station, also known as Guri, was built in 1986 on the Caroni River in Venezuela. It became the record holder in capacity (10,235 MW) upon completion, but the achievement lasted only three years.

The HPP generates 47 billion kWh annually, covering 65% of the country’s electricity needs.

7. Wudongde

China’s Wudongde hydroelectric power station began construction in 2015 and has been operational since 2020. Investments in the Udunde project amounted to $18.6 billion, comparable to Laos’s annual budget. Construction on the Jinsha River is almost as robust as the Guri hydroelectric power plant, which has a maximum capacity of 10,200 MW.

The hydroelectric power plant is one of the tallest in the world because it was built at 240 m. Compared to competitors,Wudongde has only 12 turbines, but each has a capacity of 850 MW.

8. Jebel Ali

The Jebel Ali station near Dubai is the only power plant in the top 10 that does not use water energy. The facility is a combined-cycle gas plant powered by gas and oil and equipped with a desalination plant. Its capacity is 8695 MW, making it the world’s largest gas-fired power plant.

Jebel Ali also holds the title of the largest seawater desalination plant (2.1 million m3 per day).

9. Tucurui

In ninth place at the top is another Brazilian hydroelectric power station, Tucurui, which was built on the Tocantins River in 1984. With a capacity of 8,370 MW, the plant has become the first major hydropower project in the Amazon rainforest. Have you ever wondered why there are no bridges in the Amazon region? The Tucurui spillway has the largest capacity in the world — 120,000 m3/s

In ninth place at the top is another Brazilian hydroelectric power station, Tucurui, which was built on the Tocantins River in 1984. With a capacity of 8,370 MW, the plant has become the first major hydropower project in the Amazon rainforest. Have you ever wondered why there are no bridges in the Amazon region? The Tucurui spillway has the largest capacity in the world — 120,000 m3/s.

10. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa

Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is confidently included in the list of the largest nuclear power plants on the planet because its maximum capacity is 7965 MW.

In 2007, some of the nuclear power plant’s reactors were shut down due to a significant earthquake. The plant suffered more than 50 damage, and radioactive water leaked into the sea. In 2011, all Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors were shut down due to the Fukushima-1 accident. It was not until 2023 that the Japanese Atomic Energy Control Committee lifted the ban on the operation of nuclear power plants.