The list of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world includes dams with a super capacity of up to 22,500MW in China and in many other parts of the world.
Hydroelectricity is the main source of electricity for countries with many large rivers and lakes. To make the most of the water flow, hydropower plants often have to build large dams to store water.
Hydroelectric dams are the main and largest source of energy for a number of countries in the world, including Vietnam, China or Laos.
Of course, there will be large and small dams depending on the terrain and initial estimated capacity. In this article, we will go through the list of 10 largest hydropower dams in operation in the world. .
The Three Gorges Dam is located in Hubei, China and is also the world’s largest hydroelectric dam in terms of electricity output. This plant can produce about 22,500MW of electricity. The cost of building this dam is not small, up to 37 billion USD.
Construction of the dam began in 1994 and was not officially completed until 2012. The huge power plant has 32 main turbines and 2 small generators. Each turbine has a capacity of 700MW, with two generators of 100MW.
This dam is even capable of slowing down the Earth’s rotation, because the volume of water stored in the lake is immense.
This dam is located on the border between Brazil-Paraguay. The capacity of this plant can reach 14,000MW.
Itaipu Dam was put into use in 1984 and once set a world record for power output. The amount of concrete to build this dam is estimated to be enough to build 210 stadiums and 380 Eiffel towers.
It is the second largest hydroelectric plant in China. The dam is located on the Jinsha River in Yunnan Province. Bach Hac Than Dam can generate electricity output of up to 13,860MW. In the world alone, Bach Hac Than is the third largest hydropower plant in the world in terms of electricity output.
The Guri Dam is located on the Caronni River, Venezuela. This dam has a capacity of up to 10,300MW and is the largest source of fresh water in Venezuela.
The Guri Dam provides about 73% of Venezuela’s annual electricity production.
This is Brazil’s first major hydroelectric project built inside the Amazon jungle. The Tucurui hydroelectricity can generate about 8,370MW of electricity.
One of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams, Xiangjiaba is located between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The maximum capacity of the plant is 6,448MW.
The dam is located in Washington state. The maximum capacity of the plant is 6,809MW and is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the US. The Grand Coulee Dam was built between 1933 and 1942.
This is also a dam in China with a maximum capacity of up to 6,426MW. The dam plays an important role in improving shipping and trade routes across China.
Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station is located in Russia. This dam can generate 6,000MW of electricity. The Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric dam plays a role in regulating the climate in the region, as it can release unfrozen water and prevent rivers from freezing in winter.
The Robert-Bourassa Dam located in James Bay, Quebec has a capacity (5,616MW) and sits on top of the largest underground power station in the world.
Although irrigation works and electricity production are extremely useful, according to many experts, the downside of hydropower is the affected environment and ecosystem. Therefore, countries need to calculate very carefully to avoid future environmental consequences.