Three Gorges: the world's largest hydroelectric power station

"Three Gorges" is not only the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, but also a national Chinese landmark attracting many tourists from all over the world. The largest hydroconstruction, located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, was built to perform the three main functions - generating electricity, fighting floods, and improving shipping conditions. The construction of this facility began in 1994, and nine years later the station began to produce the first electricity. In July 2012, all construction work was completed, after which the world's largest hydroelectric power station was officially put into operation.

The dam can reach 185 meters in height and has the ability to transmit 116 thousand cubic meters of water every second. The total number of hydraulic units is thirty-four. At the same time, the power of each of the thirty-two is 700 megawatts, and the remaining two (they are used for the object's own needs) are 50 megawatts. The total capacity of the "Three Gorges" is 22.5 gigawatts. As for electricity generation, the largest hydroelectric power station annually has the capacity to produce about one hundred billion kilowatt hours. It is interesting that initially the designers planned that the station would give one-tenth of all the energy produced in China. But while the construction of the facility has continued, the country's needs have increased significantly, now the energy given by the giant hydroelectric power station is only two percent of the total.

It is impossible not to note the enormous importance that HPPs have during floods. So historically, these natural disasters have become a very serious problem for the Chinese people , because they take away a large number of human lives each year. In this connection, a whole cascade of reservoirs is being built on the Yangtze River . In addition to the "Three Gorges" it includes the "Gezhouba" hydroelectric power station, which was built in 1988. In addition, there are seven more stations, which are currently under construction. The largest hydro power plant 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 is dependent on the water level in the river. After all, when it decreases, the power decreases drastically. And when floods occur, most of the thawed water is discharged idle.

The "Three Gorges" hydroelectric power station is located in a picturesque area between the cities of Yichang and Chongqing. In this area there are many cultural and natural attractions. Due to its architectural originality, the largest hydro power plant in the world has been designated "the pearl of the Yangtze River". In addition, people have always been interested in scientific and technological progress, so it is not surprising that the "Three Gorges" HPP began to enjoy great popularity among tourists during construction.

As for the domestic giants, the biggest hydroelectric power station in Russia is Sayano-Shushenskaya. Despite the fact that its declared capacity is 6400 megawatts, it occupies only the seventh place in the world rating. In addition to the "Three Gorges", the first three included hydroelectric power plants such as the Brazilian-Paraguayan Itaipu (14,000 megawatts) and the giant hydroelectric power station of Venezuela - Guri (10.2 thousand megawatts).