The Largest Power Plants in the World (Of All Types)
How much energy does a person use in a year? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, worldwide energy consumption per capita is about 80 million Btu (British thermal units) each year. Of course, that energy has to come from somewhere, so humanity has constructed incredible marvels of engineering to harvest energy in a variety of ways. The team at SolarPower.guide has explored the largest power plants around the world of each type and visualized where they are and how much energy they produce each year:
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What Is the Largest Power Plant in the World?
The biggest power plant in the world and the largest dam in the world is Three Gorges Dam, located in the Hubei province of China. It’s a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans across the Yangtze River with an installed capacity of 22,500 MW. Construction of the Three Gorges Dam began in 1994, and it became fully functional in 2012, costing approximately $31.75 billion U.S. to complete. After immense monsoon rainfalls in 2020, the dam’s annual production reached 112 annual terawatt-hours, breaking the previous world record of 103 terawatt-hours set by Itaipu Dam in 2016.
How big is Three Gorges Dam? It’s 7,661 feet long, 377 feet wide, and 594 feet high. To put that into perspective, the Stature of Liberty is 151 feet tall, so the Three Gorges Dam is nearly four Statue of Libertys stacked on top of each other!
How does a hydroelectric dam work? A simple explanation of how dams work is that a river is blocked by the dam structure, creating a large reservoir of water. Gravity causes the water to flow over the dam in a controlled way; as the water falls, it turns turbines within the dam, which generate electricity.
What Is the Largest Solar Power Plant in the World?
The largest solar power farm in the world is the Bhadla Solar Park in India, with a capacity of 2,700 MW. This colossal solar park spans a total area of 14,000 acres, which is the equivalent of about 10,600 football fields! The biggest solar plant in the world is located in a sandy and arid region of India that is described as nearly unlivable due to its climate. Temperatures hover between 46° and 48° Celsius (115° and 118° Fahrenheit) with frequent hot winds and sand storms. The closest village, called Bap, is located 31 miles away.
What Is the Largest Coal Plant in the World?
The largest coal plant in the world is the Tuoketuo Power Station, located in the Inner Mongolia region of China. It has a capacity of 6,720 MW. It was commissioned in 1995 and reached its current capacity in 2017.
What Is the Largest Natural Gas Plant in the World?
The largest natural gas power plant in the world is the Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Plant, located in the United Arab Emirates, with a capacity of 8,595 MW. What is a desalination plant? A desalination plant uses reverse osmosis technology to remove salt and other impurities from seawater, making it suitable to drink.
What Is the Largest Power Plant in the U.S.?
The biggest power plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam, with a capacity of 6,806 MW. It’s located in Washington state on the Grand Coulee, an ancient river bed. Construction began in 1933, and the dam opened in 1942. It cost approximately $163 million to build at the time, which is equivalent to $1.99 billion in 2020 dollars.
The Largest Power Plants in the World (of All Types)
The Top 20 Largest Power Plants in the World
| Power Plant Name and Country | Capacity (MW) | Power Plant Type |
|
Three Gorges Dam
China |
22,500 | Hydro |
|
Itaipu Dam
Brazil/Paraguay |
14,000 | Hydro |
|
Xiluodu
China |
13,860 | Hydro |
|
Belo Monte
Brazil |
11,233 | Hydro |
|
Guri
Venezuela |
10,235 | Hydro |
|
Wudongde Dam
China |
10,200 | Hydro |
|
Jebel Ali
United Arab Emirates |
8,695 | Gas |
|
Tucuruí
Brazil |
8,370 | Hydro |
|
Jiuquan
China |
7,965 | Wind |
|
Kori
South Korea |
7,489 | Nuclear |
|
Grand Coulee Dam
United States |
6,809 | Hydro |
|
Tuoketuo
China |
6,809 | Coal |
|
Xiangjiaba
China |
6,448 | Hydro |
|
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
Canada |
6,430 | Nuclear |
|
Longtan
China |
6,426 | Hydro |
|
Sayano-Shushenskaya
Russia |
6,400 | Hydro |
|
Taean
South Korea |
6,100 | Coal |
|
Tianwan
China |
6,070 | Nuclear |
|
Dangjin
South Korea |
6,040 | Coal |
|
Krasnoyarsk
Russia |
6,000 | Hydro |
Top 5 Largest Coal Power Plants
| Rank | Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Tuoketuo | China | 6,720 |
| 2. | Taean | South Korea | 6,100 |
| 3. | Dangjin | South Korea | 6,040 |
| 4. | Taichung | Taiwan | 5,500 |
| 5. | Bełchatów | Poland | 5,102 |
Top 5 Largest Fuel Oil Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Shoaiba | Saudi Arabia | 5,600 |
| 2. | Ghazlan | Saudi Arabia | 4,528 |
| 3. | Kashima | Japan | 4,400 |
| 4. | Anegasaki | Japan | 3,600 |
| 5. | Qurayyah | Saudi Arabia | 3,927 |
Top 5 Largest Natural Gas Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Plant | United Arab Emirates | 8,695 |
| 2. | Surgut-2 | Russia | 5,657 |
| 3. | Higashi-Niigata | Japan | 5,149 |
| 4. | Futtsu | Japan | 5,040 |
| 5. | Tatan | Taiwan | 4,984 |
Top 5 Largest Nuclear Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kori | South Korea | 7,489 |
| 2. | Bruce | Canada | 6,430 |
| 3. | Tianwan | China | 6,070 |
| 4. | Yangjiang | China | 6,000 |
| 5. | Fuqing | China | 6,000 |
Top 5 Largest Oil Shale Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Eesti | Estonia | 1,615 |
| 2. | Balti | Estonia | 765 |
| 3. | Auvere | Estonia | 300 |
| 4. | Huadian | China | 100 |
| 5. | Kohtla-Järve | Estonia | 39 |
Top 5 Largest Peat Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Shatura | Russia | 1,500 |
| 2. | Kirov | Russia | 300 |
| 3. | Keljonlahti | Finland | 209 |
| 4. | Toppila | Finland | 190 |
| 5. | Haapavesi | Finland | 154 |
Top 5 Largest Biomass Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Drax (units 1–4) | UK | 2,595 |
| 2. | Alholmens Kraft | Finland | 265 |
| 3. | Maasvlakte 3 | Netherlands | 220 |
| 4. | Połaniec | Poland | 205 |
| 5. | Atikokan Generating Station | Canada | 205 |
Top 5 Largest Geothermal Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | The Geysers | United States | 1,517 |
| 2. | Cerro Prieto | Mexico | 820 |
| 3. | Larderello | Italy | 769 |
| 4. | Olkaria | Kenya | 727 |
| 5. | Imperial Valley | United States | 403.4 |
Top 5 Largest Conventional Hydro Power Plants
| Rank | Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Three Gorges | China | 22,500 |
| 2. | Itaipu | Brazil/Paraguay | 14,000 |
| 3. | Xiluodu | China | 13,860 |
| 4. | Belo Monte | Brazil | 11,233 |
| 5. | Guri | Venezuela | 10,233 |
Top 5 Largest Run-of-the-River Hydro Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Jirau | Brazil | 3,750 |
| 2. | Santo Antonio | Brazil | 3,568 |
| 3. | Chief Joseph | United States | 2,620 |
| 4. | John Day | United States | 2,160 |
| 5. | Beauharnois | Canada | 1,903 |
Top 5 Largest Solar Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Bhadla Solar Park | India | 2,700 |
| 2. | Longyangxia Dam Solar Park | China | 2,400 |
| 3. | Huanghe Hydropower Hainan Solar Park | China | 2,200 |
| 4. | Pavagada Solar Park | India | 2,050 |
| 5. | Benban Solar Park | Egypt | 1,650 |
Top 5 Largest Wind Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Gansu | China | 7,965 |
| 2. | Alta | United States | 1,548 |
| 3. | Muppandal Wind Farm | India | 1,500 |
| 4. | Hornsea 1 | UK | 1,218 |
| 5. | Jaisalmer | India | 1,064 |
Top 5 Largest Pumped Storage Power Plants
| Rank | Power Station | Country | Capacity (MW) |
| 1. | Fengning | China | 3,600 |
| 2. | Bath County | United States | 3,003 |
| 3. | Huizhou | China | 2,448 |
| 4. | Guangdong | China | 2,400 |
| 5. | Ludington | United States | 2,172 |