Since time immemorial, mankind has learned to use the energy of falling water. In the twentieth century, the principle of an outstanding scientist began to be fully implemented: “We cannot wait for mercy from nature ...”, and dams and hydroelectric power stations began to be built on large rivers, which began to generate electricity due to falling water.
First of all, these are the most complicated hydraulic structures, and today it is one of the most effective ways of generating energy. Despite the fact that in Russia, due to the large number of full-flowing rivers, the best conditions for the construction of such stations, the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world are located in other parts of our planet.
The largest hydropower plants in Russia:
1
Sayano-Shushenskaya them. P.S. Neporozhny. Russia
But let's begin with Russia. Note that the large hydroelectric power stations of Russia are located in Siberia, and the most powerful of them is the Sayano-Shushenskaya, which is comfortably located on the mighty Yenisei.
The construction of the station, with a capacity of 6,400 MW, lasted 37 years with some interruptions. They finally announced the complete completion of construction work in 2000, but it generated energy, starting in 1978.
A hydroelectric power station, whose energy cost is only 1.62 kopecks, is of great importance in the economy of the Russian Federation.
2
Krasnoyarsk. Russia
From the unique hydroelectric power station that was built on the Yenisei River, 85% of the energy goes to the Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter. The uniqueness also lies in the fact that there is only one ship-lift installed at the hydroelectric power station.
During the construction of a huge dam, 124 meters high, large tracts of land were flooded, and a number of design errors were made that led to inefficient operation.
Another remarkable fact. During the construction, 162 settlements were flooded, of which 60 thousand people were evacuated.
3
Brotherly. Russia
This hydroelectric station is built on the Angara River and produces 4.5 GW, although many experts say that the Siberian hydroelectric station is not working at full capacity.
But it’s not planned to increase power, as this can lead to changes in the environment,
During the construction of the dam, residents of several islands had to be resettled, which was reflected in the story of the Soviet classic Valentin Rasputin, “Farewell to Matera”.
4
Ust-Ilim. Russia
Another giant hydroelectric power station in Siberia is part of a cascade of seven power plants on the Angara. Its capacity is 3.84 GW, and they launched it in the late 1970s.
A road crossing passes through a high dam, but in order to avoid cracks in concrete structures, it is closed. It is noteworthy that the highest point of the dam is located at an altitude of 296 meters above sea level.
In the economy and energy system of Siberia, hydroelectric power plants are of great importance, providing energy for wood processing and aluminum plants. In the future, the project of creating locks with powerful ship elevators is being considered.
5
Boguchanskaya. Russia
Another magnificent station with a capacity of 3.00 GW is operating on the majestic Angara. This is the fourth, last step of the Angarsk cascade, 44 kilometers from the mouth of the river.
The units were put into operation in 2012–2014, and her work is criticized by public organizations for the protection of nature and Greenpeace.
Increasing the level of the reservoir every year allows increasing the capacity of the Boguchanskaya station. But historians and archaeologists are also against this construction approach. The fact is that the waters of the reservoir are flooding with unique historical monuments.
The largest hydropower plants in the world:
8
Xiangjiab. China
China has relatively recently begun to develop this area of energy production, but it already occupies a leading position in the world energy industry in terms of the number of large hydroelectric power stations on the river and the capacity of generated energy.
In 2012–2014, the units of the station were launched near the city of Yongshan on the Jinsha River. The dam-derivational hydroelectric power station is part of the cascade of dams on the Yangtze River.
To ensure navigability of the river, the dam, the height of which reaches 161 meters, is equipped with the most modern ship elevator.
7
Grand Cooley. USA
The most powerful US hydroelectric power station with a powerful turbine of 6,809 MW, and its reservoir area is 324 km³, and the dam thickness of the large station is 503 meters.
In addition to generating electricity, the station performs important tasks to irrigate the desert regions of the northwest coast of the United States. The station allows you to irrigate large areas. Land reclamation activities involved more than 2,000 km² of agricultural land.
Note that the station began operating in 1942, and as of January 2017 it occupies the 6th place in the world in terms of power.
By the way, there is an interesting article about the largest cities of China on thebiggest.ru.
6
Tukurui. Brazil
The station on the Brazilian River Tocantins was named after the city of Tucurui. During the construction of the dam, the urban settlement fell into the flood zone, and after the station was opened, it was moved downstream.
There are 25 turbines located on Tukurui that generate 8.370 MW of energy, and the gutter of the dam has the highest throughput capacity among all hydroelectric power stations on the rivers.
The dam with a length of 11 kilometers and a height of 76 meters was built in the shortest possible time, and already 8 years after the start of construction, in 1984, the hydroelectric power station gave the first current.
5
Churchill Falls. Canada
On the Churchill River, which carries its waters through the vast expanses of Canada, a derivational hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 5,428 MW was built on the site of a 75-meter waterfall.
Unfortunately, when the river was diverted and partially drained, a beautiful waterfall, named after the greatest politician of the mid-20th century, ceased to exist. It comes to life only for a short period in the rainy season.
Interestingly, the idea to build a station on this site without the construction of a large dam appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the project itself was already implemented in the 1970s.
4
Guri. Venezuela
The large hydroelectric power station in Venezuela was named after the fighter for independence and freedom, Simon Bolivar. In 1978, it was renamed in honor of the President of Venezuela, Raul Leoni.
The station on the Karoni River has a capacity of 10.30 GW. The height of the dam is 162 meters, and the station itself provides 65% of the energy requirements of the South American country. In addition, the station is exporting electricity to neighboring Colombia and Brazil.
Two computer rooms are decorated with paintings by the famous Latin American artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. The management of the hydroelectric power station believes that the paintings reduce stress among workers. TheBiggest editors fully support such interesting innovations.
3
Sidolu. China
In 2014, on the Jinsha River near the Chinese village of Silodu, the third largest power plant in the world began to give energy.
A large dam began to be erected in 2005. In addition to generating electricity, the dam also has an environmental function. With the help of water discharge, the siltiness of the upper Yangtze current is reduced.
In total, by the beginning of 2015, 14 turbines were launched in Chinese Sidol, with a total capacity of 13,860 MW.
2
Itaipu. Brazil - Paraguay
The station was built by mutual agreement on the border itself. And two countries divided it among themselves - Paraquay and Brazil. This is the most unique hydraulic structure of the Parana River, and it is named after the name of the island at the mouth of the South American river.
Itaipu's electrical capacity, whose construction began in 1971, is 14,000 MW. A huge dam with a length of 7,235 meters, on the Brazilian side has a fishing channel.
In November 2009, lightning struck the design of the hydroelectric station, which led to an emergency. Almost 50 million people in Brazil were temporarily disconnected from electricity.
1
Three gorges. China
The largest hydroelectric power station began its work in 2003, and the final official completion of construction was announced in July 2012.
A huge dam on the Yangtze River in the Chinese province of Hubei annually produces 98,100 kW / h of electricity. This is the largest hydraulic structure in the world, and the dam of the reservoir is considered the largest on the planet.
During the construction of the dam, large regions fell into the flood zone, but if the dam breaks through, the territories with a population of 360 million people fall into the flood zone.
Conclusion
As you can see, the world's largest hydroelectric power plants play an important role in the economy, and most importantly, provide the population and enterprises with energy at peak load times. For example, large hydroelectric power stations in Siberia cover more than 50% of the country's electricity.
But there is a flip side to the coin. The scientific and technological revolution will always come into conflict with nature. Many experts and environmentalists say that the construction of dams leads to irreversible processes, changing the climate, which negatively affects the environment. Like it or not, TheBiggest does not know, but we want to hear your opinion about it in the comments.