{"id":64345,"date":"2022-12-03T07:19:08","date_gmt":"2022-12-03T12:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=64345"},"modified":"2022-12-03T07:19:08","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T12:19:08","slug":"visualizing-the-worlds-largest-hydroelectric-dams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=64345","title":{"rendered":"Visualizing The World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Visualizing The World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dams<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
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Did you know that hydroelectricity is the world\u2019s biggest source of renewable energy?\u00a0<\/strong>According to recent figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), it represents 40% of total capacity, ahead of solar (28%) and wind (27%).<\/p>\n

This type of energy is generated by hydroelectric power stations, which are essentially large dams that use the water flow to spin a turbine. They can also serve secondary functions such as flow monitoring and flood control.<\/p>\n

To help you learn more about hydropower,\u00a0Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu<\/a>\u00a0has visualized the five largest hydroelectric dams in the world, ranked by their maximum output.<\/p>\n

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Overview of the Data<\/h2>\n

The following table lists key information about the five dams shown in this graphic, as of 2021.\u00a0Installed capacity<\/strong>\u00a0is the maximum amount of power that a plant can generate under full load.<\/p>\n

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At the top of the list is China\u2019s\u00a0Three Gorges Dam<\/strong>, which opened in 2003. It has an installed capacity of 22.5 gigawatts (GW), which is close to double the second-place\u00a0Itaipu Dam<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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In terms of annual output, the Itaipu Dam actually produces about the same amount of electricity. This is because the Parana River has a low seasonal variance, meaning the flow rate changes very little throughout the year. On the other hand, the Yangtze River has a significant drop in flow for several months of the year.<\/p>\n

For a point of comparison, here is the installed capacity of the world\u2019s three largest solar power plants, also as of 2021:<\/p>\n