Introduction
The hydroelectric power plants are one of the most popular types of power plants used for the generation of the electricity. The major reason for the popularity of hydroelectric power plants is that they use potential energy of water for generation of electricity and they don’t require any fuel. This helps keep environment clean and energy production relatively cheaper. Huge infrastructure is required to setup the hydroelectric power plants, hence its no wonder that some of the hydroelectric power plants are being considered as the seventh wonder of the world.
Let us see the ten largest hydroelectric power plants of the world:
1) Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam is the hydroelectric power plant being developed on river Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, located in China. This is the largest hydroelectric power plant with the power generation capacity of 22,500 MW when completed. At present the power plant produces 17600MW of power. As per the plans the Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric power plants is to become fully operational by the year 2011.
The wall Three Gorges Dam is 2309 meters long and 101 meters high and it is made up of concrete material. The total steel used for the dam is good enough to raise 63 Eiffel Towers. You will be surprised to know that on the bottom side the wall is 115 meters thick and on top side it is 40 meters thick. The total length of Gorges Dam is 660 kilometers and its average width is 1.12 kilometers.
The generation of power from Three Gorges Dam is a definite advantage since no fuel is required and no pollution will be created. But at the same time its construction has also led to large scale ecological disturbance, displacement of the human beings and loss of numerous important archeological and cultural sites.
Image Source: Wikipedia
2) Itaipu hydroelectric power plants
Before Three Gorges Dam, Itaipu hydroelectric power plant was considered to be the largest hydroelectric power plant of the world. Itaipu power plant is developed on Parana River in the border areas around Brazil and Paraguay and 15 kilometers towards North of Friendship Bridge. There are 20 power generating units at Itaipu each producing 700MW of power totaling 14 GW of power. For more details of Itaipu hydroelectric power plants click on The Largest Hydroelectric Power Plant of the World: Itaipu.
Image Source: Wikipedia
3) Guri Dam
Guri Dam is the hydroelectric power plant developed on river Caroni River in the Bolivar state of Venezuela. The official name of Guri Dam is Central Hidroelectrica Simon Bolivar. The construction Guri Dam started in the year 1963 and it was completed in two phases in the years 1978 and 1986. In the first phase the Guri Dam produced 2065 MW of power from 10 power generation units. The second phase of Guri Dam comprises of 10 more power generation units each with capacity of 630MW. Thus the total power production capacity of the hydroelectric power plant of Guri Dam is 10,200 MW. Guri Dam is 1300 meters long and 162 meters high.
Since long time Guri Dam has been the center of controversy since the lake created by the dam has led to wide scale destruction of the forests which were renowned for biodiversity and home of number of rare plant and animal species. However, Guri Dam fulfills more than 80% of the total power requirements of Venezuela, thus making utmost use of the renewable energy of water.
Gurid Dam
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4) Tucurui Dam
Tucurui Dam is the hydroelectric power plant developed in Tocantins River in Tucurui county of Brazil. This is next largest hydroelectric power plant in Brazil after Itaipu. There are total 24 power generation units installed at Tucurui hydroelectric power plants with the total power generation capacity of 8370MW. The total length of the dam is 11 kilometers and the height is 78 meters. The total water discharge from Tucurui dam spillway is 120,000 cubic meter per second which is largest in the world. Work on Tucurui hydroelectric power plant was completed in the year 1984.
5) Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is the hydroelectric power plant developed on Columbia River in Washington State of United States. It is the largest hydroelectric power plant in US. The lake formed by the reservoir of Grand Coulee Dam has been given name Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, after the US president who presided over the construction of the dam.
The total length of Grand Coulee Dam is 1586 meters and its height is 168 meters, which is more than the height of Grand Pyramid of Giza. The hydraulic height of the Grand Coulee Dam is 115 meters, which is twice the height of Niagara Falls. The total width of the spillway is 168 meters. The total amount of the concrete used in the construction of Grand Coulee Dam is good enough to construct a sidewalk of four feet wide and four inch deep around the whole equator twice.
The construction work on Grand Coulee Dam started in the year 1933. During construction the design was changed so that more people can be employed, more power can be generated and wider areas can be irrigated. Work had to be stopped for many years due to Second World War and other reasons. The work on Grand Coulee hydroelectric power plants was completed in the year 1980 with the total power generation capacity of 6809 MW. Grand Coulee is the gravity type of hydroelectric power plant.
Image Source: Wikipedia
6) Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant
Sayano-Shushenskaya is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Russia developed on Yenisei River near Sayanogorsk in Khakassia. Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plants was completed in the year 1978 and it has total power producing capacity of 6400 MW. Yearly the plant can produce 25,500GWh of power. This is the gravity type of dam with 245 meters height, crest length of 1066 meters, and maximum water head of 220 meters.
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7) Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power plant
Krasnoyarsk is the second largest hydroelectric power of the Russia developed on Yenisey River. The total height of the dam is 119 meter. The work on Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power plant was completed in the year 1964 and it has power generation capacity of 6000MW. The construction of Krasnoyarsk dam has brought lots of changes in the climate of the surrounding areas. Before Krasnoyarsk came there used to be ice in the local areas for around 196 days of the year. Krasnoyarsk has caused increase in the temperature of the local areas now the whole areas in about 300-400 kilometers range of downstream no ice is found throughout the year.
Image Source: Wikipedia
8) Robert-Bourassa
Robert-Bourassa is the largest hydroelectric power plants of Canada with the power producing capacity of 5616MW. It is constructed on La Grande River and it is part of Hydro-Quebec’s James Bay Project. Initially this power plant known as La Grande-2 and it was later renamed after Robert Bourassa who, as the Premier of Quebec gave great thrust to James Bay Project.
Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric power plant was commissioned in the year 1979-81. The total number of power generation units in the plant are 16 each having power generation capacity of 351MW and Francis Turbine. Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric power plant is also tourist and adventure spot. It is the world’s largest underground plant located 140 meters underground. The total height of Robert-Bourassa dam is almost equal to 51 storeys building making it mammoth structure. Then there is gigantic spillway which gives electrifying experience.
Image Source: Wikipedia
9) Churchill Falls hydroelectric power plant
Churchill Falls is the second largest hydroelectric power plant of Canada located on Churchill River in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Churchill Falls are 75 meters high located on Churchill River. The River and the falls have been named after Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Winston Churchill to honor him. Since the year 1970, the water from Churchill Falls is being diverted to the Churchill hydroelectric power plants and waterfalls are visible only during the years of exceptionally heavy rainfall. After Robert-Bourassa, Churchill hydroelectric power plants are the second largest underground hydroelectric power plant of the world.
The total power production capacity of Churchill Falls Hydroelectric power plant is 5428MW. There are total 11 power generation units each with the capacity of 494MW and having vertical type of Francis turbines. The total head of water is 312 meters.
The total height of Churchill Falls hydroelectric power plant is 47 meters from bottom to top, which is equivalent to 15 storey building. The powerhouse is 296 meters long and 25 meters wide. The total rock obtained from excavation of underground caverns was used for the construction of the city roads and also as a dike material. The plant was commissioned in the year 1971 and, before this the work was carried out non-stop for five years and almost 6300 workers were involved.
Image Source: Wikipedia
10) Bratsk hydroelectric power plant
Bratsk hydroelectric power plant is located near Bratsk in Russia and it developed on Angara River. The plant was commissioned in the year 1967 and it annually produces 22.6TWh of power. The total power generation capacity of Bratsk hydroelectric power plant is 4500MW. There are 18 power generation units each with the capacity of 250MW and is equipped with Francis turbine.
The dam of Bratsk hydroelectric plant comprises of 924 meter long wall with the height of 124.5 meters. Then there are costal concrete wall which are 506 meters long. There is railway track and automobile road on the upper sides of the wall.
The total head of water in the dam is 106meters. There is a long penstock of 5140 meters from reservoir of the dam to power generation units.
The Bratsk hydroelectric power plant provides power to hundreds of factories. The major power is consumed by Bratsk Aluminum Plant amounting to 75% of the total power produced by the Bratsk hydroelectric power plant.
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