Three Gorges: the largest hydroelectric power station in the world

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Three Gorges is not just the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, but also a national Chinese landmark that attracts many tourists from all over the world. The largest hydraulic structure, located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, was built to perform three main functions - generating electricity, controlling floods, and also to improve navigation conditions. The construction of this facility began in 1994, and nine years later, the station began to generate the first electricity. In July 2012, all construction work was completed, after which the largest hydroelectric power station in the world was officially put into operation.

The dam reaches a height of 185 meters and has the ability to pass 116,000 cubic meters of water every second. The total number of hydroelectric units is thirty-four. At the same time, the capacity of each of the thirty-two is 700 megawatts, and the remaining two (they are used for the facility's own needs) are 50 megawatts. The total capacity of the Three Gorges is 22.5 gigawatts. Concerninggeneration of electrical energy, the largest hydroelectric power plant annually has the ability to produce about one hundred billion kilowatt-hours. Interestingly, the designers originally planned that the station would provide one tenth of all the energy generated in China. But while the construction of the facility was ongoing, the country's needs increased significantly, now the energy provided by the giant hydroelectric power station is only two percent of the total.

It is impossible not to note the great importance that hydroelectric power plants have during floods. Historically, these natural disasters have become a very serious problem for the Chinese people, because they claim a large number of human lives every year. In this regard, a whole cascade complex of reservoirs is being built on the Yangtze River. In addition to the Three Gorges, it includes the Gezhouba hydroelectric power station, built in 1988. In addition, seven more stations are currently under construction. The largest hydroelectric power station in the world has a reservoir with a capacity of 20 cubic kilometers. Without a doubt, it will significantly reduce the consequences of the annual spring flood. It should be noted that in the absence of a reservoir, any hydroelectric power station becomes dependent on the water level in the river. After all, when it is lowered, power is sharply reduced. And when floods occur, most of the melt water is discharged for nothing.

The Three Gorges Hydro Power Plant is located in a scenic area between Yichang and Chongqing. In thatThe area is home to many cultural and natural attractions. Due to its architectural originality, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world has received the definition of "the pearl of the Yangtze River." In addition, people have always been very interested in the possibilities of scientific and technological progress, so it is not surprising that the Three Gorges HPP began to be very popular with tourists even during construction.

As for domestic giants, the largest hydroelectric power station in Russia is Sayano-Shushenskaya. Despite the fact that its declared capacity is 6400 megawatts, it ranks only seventh in the world ranking. In addition to the Three Gorges, the top three included such hydroelectric power stations as the Brazilian-Paraguayan Itaipu (14,000 megawatts) and the giant Venezuelan Guri hydroelectric power station (10.2 thousand megawatts).