List of largest hydroelectric power stations

Three Gorges Dam (left), Gezhouba Dam (right)

This article provides a list of the largest hydroelectric power stations by generating capacity. Only plants with capacity larger than 3,000 MW are listed.

The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei, China, has the world's largest instantaneous generating capacity (22,500 MW), with Baihetan Dam from the same nation in second place with a capacity of (16,000 MW). The Itaipu Dam in Paraguay/Brazil is the third largest with (14,000 MW). Despite the large difference in installed capacity between Three Gorges Dam and Itaipu Dam, they generate nearly equal amounts of electrical energy during the course of an entire year - Itaipu 103 TWh in 2016[1] and Three Gorges 111.8 TWh in 2020,[2] because the Three Gorges experiences six months per year when there is very little water available to generate power, while the Paraná River that feeds the Itaipu has a much lower seasonal variance in flow. Energy output of the Three Gorges reaches 125 TWh in years of high feed availability.

The Three Gorges (22,500 MW - 32 × 700 MW and 2 × 50 MW) is operated jointly with the much smaller Gezhouba Dam (2,715 MW), the total generating capacity of this two-dam complex is 25,215 MW. The Itaipu on the Brazil–Paraguay border has 20 generator units with overall 14,000 MW of installed capacity, however the maximum number of generating units allowed to operate simultaneously cannot exceed 18 (12,600 MW).

The Jinsha River (the upper stream of Yangtze River) complex is the largest hydroelectric generating system currently under construction. It has three phases. Phase one includes four dams on the downstream of the Jinsha River. They are Wudongde Dam, Baihetan Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, with generating capacity of 10,200 MW, 16,000 MW, 13,860 MW, and 6,448 MW respectively. Phase two includes eight dams on the middle stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 21,150 MW. Phase three includes eight dams on the upper stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 8,980 MW. The total combined capacity of the Jinsha complex with the Three Gorges complex will be 101,853 MW.

Preliminary plans exist for the construction of the next largest hydroelectric power station with an installed capacity of 39,000 MW.[3] The Project is called Grand Inga and is planned to be realised on the lower Congo River.[4] China is said to have been working on a 50,000 MW[5] dam as part of the Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric and Water Diversion Project. Another proposal, Penzhin Tidal Power Plant, presumes an installed capacity up to 87,100 MW.

The largest hydroelectric power stations top the list of the largest power stations of any kind, are among the largest hydraulic structures and are some of the largest artificial structures in the world.

List

Completed

Only operational power stations with an installed capacity of at least 3,000 MW. Some of these may have additional units under construction, but only current installed capacity is listed.

Under construction

This table lists stations under construction with an expected installed capacity at least 3,000 MW.

Name Country Location River Expected
capacity (MW)
Expected
completion
TaSang  Myanmar 20°27′23″N 98°39′0″E / 20.45639°N 98.65000°E / 20.45639; 98.65000 Salween 7,110 ?? (on hold)
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance  Ethiopia 11°12′51″N 35°05′35″E / 11.21417°N 35.09306°E / 11.21417; 35.09306 (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) Blue Nile 5,150[note 6] 2022-?[31][32]
Diamer-Bhasha  Pakistan 35°31′08″N 73°47′10″E / 35.51889°N 73.78611°E / 35.51889; 73.78611 (Diamer-Bhasha Dam) Indus River 4,500 2028[33]
Dasu  Pakistan 35°31′10″N 73°44′21″E / 35.51944°N 73.73917°E / 35.51944; 73.73917 (Dasu Dam) Indus River 4,320 2025
Rogun  Tajikistan 38°41′03″N 69°46′26″E / 38.68417°N 69.77389°E / 38.68417; 69.77389 (Rogun Dam) Vakhsh 3,600[34][note 7] 2018[35]-2029
Myitsone  Myanmar 25°41′23″N 97°31′04″E / 25.68972°N 97.51778°E / 25.68972; 97.51778 Irrawaddy 3,600 ?? (on hold)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Generating capacity is not the only factor determining the amount of electricity generated, as this also depends on consistent utilization of the plant's capacity. Factors enhancing this are the free capacity of the reservoir and the consistency of water supply during and across years.
  2. ^ first unit installed in 1984, 18th in 1991; in 2003 2 additional units were installed
  3. ^ first unit installed in 1942, 18th in 1950, 21st in 1991; 6 units in third powerplant were installed between 1975 and 1980, 2 units of pumped-storage plant were installed in 1973, 4 more units in 1983 and 1984
  4. ^ 10 units were installed between 1985 and 1989, after 2009 failure new units were installed between 2010 and 2014
  5. ^ Combined with adjacent La Grande-2-A the LG-2 complex has 7,722 MW of installed capacity
  6. ^ 750 MW commissioned as of August 2022
  7. ^ 760 MW commissioned as of October 2021

References

  1. ^ a b "Brasil retiró casi 92 millones MWh de la producción récord de Itaipú". Abc.com. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  2. ^ "Three Gorges Dam". 8 October 2021.
  3. ^ Development of the Grand Inga, retrieved 2010-03-21
  4. ^ "Africa plans biggest dam project, the Grand Inga", BBC News, 2008-04-21, retrieved 2010-03-21
  5. ^ "World's largest hydropower project planned for Tibetan Plateau". www.chinadialogue.net. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  6. ^ "Full dataset view - World Dams". rlist.io. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  7. ^ "China's Three Gorges Dam sets world hydropower production record – China Daily". spglobal.com. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. ^ Directors, Hydro Review Content (2021-06-28). "16-GW Baihetan hydropower plant begins operating in China". Hydro Review. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  9. ^ "Baihetan Hydropower Project, China". Power Technology. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  10. ^ "China completes construction of second biggest hydro plant". www.businesstimes.com.sg. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  11. ^ "China's second-largest hydropower station in full operation". Xinhua News Agency. 2014-07-02. Archived from the original on 2014-10-21.
  12. ^ "世界第三大水电站溪洛渡水电站机组全部投产-能源-人民网". Energy.people.com.cn. 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  13. ^ "A história de Belo Monte – Cronologia". Norte Energia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  14. ^ "China's Wudongde hydropower project begins full operations". www.power-technology.com. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  15. ^ "Generation Records Fall at Grand Coulee Dam". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Archived from the original on 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2006-11-18.
  16. ^ 马常艳 (2014-06-28). "中国第三大水电站向家坝水电站将全部投产发电". Ce.cn. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  17. ^ "龙滩水电站创世界建设最快纪录-能源-人民网". Energy.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  18. ^ "Саяно-Шушенская ГЭС установила исторический рекорд годовой выработки электроэнергии". www.sshges.rushydro.ru. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  19. ^ "Largest hydropower station on Mekong River starts operation - Xinhua | English.news.cn". News.xinhuanet.com. 2012-09-06. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  20. ^ "云南省最大水电站糯扎渡水电站全面建成投产". Yn.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  21. ^ Powering Our Future : Annual Report 2008 (PDF). Montreal: Hydro-Québec. April 2009. p. 125. ISBN 978-2-550-55046-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  22. ^ "Churchill Falls". Nalcor Energy. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  23. ^ "Tarbela 4th extension project starts power production". The Express Tribune. 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  24. ^ "中国水电承建拉西瓦水电站首批5台机组全部投产". www.sasac.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  25. ^ "小湾电站机组全部投产 我国水电装机突破2亿千瓦". Yn.xinhuanet.com. 2010-08-25. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  26. ^ "Geração – Santo Antônio Energia". Santoantonioenergia.com.br. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  27. ^ "Form 20-F". Sec.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  28. ^ "Bath County Pumped Storage Station | Dominion Energy". www.dominionenergy.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  29. ^ "Archived copy". www.hydropower.org.cn. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. ^ "All units of Sichuan Lianghekou Hydropower Station are put into operation--Seetao".
  31. ^ "Ethiopia's huge Nile dam delayed to 2022 - News - GCR". 14 December 2018.
  32. ^ "Ethiopia to fill contested dam as Nile talks falter". Deutsche Welle. 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  33. ^ Kiani, Khaleeq (27 August 2013). "Dasu power project gets precedence over Bhasha". dawn.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  34. ^ "Минэнерго Таджикистана назвало причины неполной реализации электроэнергетических проектов | Новости Центральной Азии".
  35. ^ "Tajikistan celebrates independence with launch of second Rogun dam turbine – Embassy of Tajikistan in Malaysia".
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