Humanity consumes large amounts of electricity, which is generated by power plants that generate electricity using various principles. The power plants themselves are of various sizes and among them there is a rating of capacity. The following is a brief description of the objects included in the top of this rating.
Grand Coulee
This American hydroelectric power plant is built on the Columbia River and is located in the state of Washington. A kind of record holder in the long-term construction category: construction began in 1942, and the facility reached its design capacity only in 1985. The total capacity is slightly higher than 6.8 GW. It is developed by 33 hydraulic units, mounted in 4-machine rooms, which are part of 1560-meter platinum with a height of almost 170 m. Figure 1 clearly shows that platinum has a characteristic L-shaped.
Kashiwazaki - Kariva
The first power unit of the Japanese nuclear power plant Kashiwazaki - Kariva with a capacity of 8.2 GW, Figure 2 was put into commercial operation in 1985, construction was completed in 1997. Uses 7 boiling-water reactors of two different types. After the well-known accident at the nuclear power plant, Fukushima was stopped for modernization, the purpose of which is to increase the overall safety of the facility from the effects of earthquakes and tsunamis.
Tucurui
This hydropower plant with 11 km of platinum, figure 3, is almost 80 m high, located in the northern part of Brazil on the Tocansis River. Launched in 1984, it has a capacity of 21.4 GW, which is generated by 24 generators. It was built in just 8 years (together with design and survey work - in 14 years), which is considered a fairly short time for objects of this scale.
Guri
The Venezuelan hydroelectric power station Guri (its name is often used as El Guri) with a 1300-meter platinum 162-meter height, Figure 4 is located on the Caroni River, was built over 20 years. Completed in 1986, after which the reconstruction of the first stage began immediately. 20 turbines, installed in two machine rooms, develop a total capacity of 10.3 GW. Provides over 60% of the country's electricity demand.
Silodu
The Chinese hydroelectric power plant Xilodu, figure 5, was built on the Yangtze River, gave its first current in 2005 and reached its design capacity nine years later. 18 units develop a full capacity of 13.9 GW, which is determined by the mountainous nature of the river at the site of the station, which made it possible to raise the height of the dam to 600 m.
Itaipu
HPP Itaipu is a joint Brazilian-Paraguayan project that has been implemented for 36 years (the construction of the station was completed in 2007). It features an unusual platinum shape, Figure 6. The total capacity of the 20 units of the station is 14 GW, the water pressure required for their operation is created by platinum 7.2 km long and almost 200 m high.
Three Gorges
The world's largest Chinese Three Gorges gravity plant is also located on the Yangtze River downstream of the Silodu HPP. Built between 1994 and 2012. An integral part of the 2.4-kilometer platinum, figure 7, 180 meters high, are the power rooms with 32 hydro-generators with a maximum capacity of 22.5 GW.
In addition to generating electricity, the plant intercepts flood waters with its reservoir and solved the problem of devastating flooding in the lower reaches of the Yangtze.