List of largest hydroelectric power stations

This article provides a list of the largest hydroelectric power stations by generating capacity. Only plants with capacity larger than 2,000 MW are listed.

Three Gorges Dam (left), Gezhouba Dam (right)

The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei, China, has the world's largest instantaneous generating capacity (22,500 MW), with the Itaipu Dam in Brazil/Paraguay in second place (14,000 MW). Despite the large difference in installed capacity, these two power stations generate nearly equal amounts of electrical energy during the course of an entire year - Itaipu 103 TWh in 2016[1] and Three Gorges 98.8 TWh in 2014,[2] because the Three Gorges experiences six months per year when there is very little water available to generate power, while the Paraná River that feeds the Itaipu has a much lower seasonal variance in flow. Energy output of the Three Gorges reaches 125 TWh in years of high feed availability.

The Three Gorges (22,500 MW - 32 × 700 MW and 2 × 50 MW) is operated jointly with the much smaller Gezhouba Dam (2,715 MW), the total generating capacity of this two-dam complex is 25,215 MW. The Itaipu on the Brazil–Paraguay border has 20 generator units with overall 14,000 MW of installed capacity, however the maximum number of generating units allowed to operate simultaneously cannot exceed 18 (12,600 MW).

The Jinsha River (the upper stream of Yangtze River) complex is the largest hydroelectric generating system currently under construction. It has three phases. Phase one includes four dams on the downstream of the Jinsha River. They are Wudongde Dam, Baihetan Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, with generating capacity of 10,200 MW, 16,000 MW, 13,860 MW, and 6,448 MW respectively. Phase two includes eight dams on the middle stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 21,150 MW. Phase three includes eight dams on the upper stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 8,980 MW. The total combined capacity of the Jinsha complex with the Three Gorges complex will be 101,853 MW.

Preliminary plans exist for the construction of the next largest hydroelectric power station with an installed capacity of 39,000 MW.[3] The Project is called Grand Inga and is planned to be realised on the lower Congo River.[4] China is said to have been working on a 50,000 MW[5] dam as part of the Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric and Water Diversion Project

Another proposal, Penzhin Tidal Power Plant, presumes an installed capacity up to 87,100 MW.

The largest hydroelectric power stations top the list of the largest power stations of any kind, are among the largest hydraulic structures and are some of the largest artificial structures in the world.

List

Completed

Only operational power stations with an installed capacity of at least 2,000 MW. Some of these may have additional units under construction, but only current installed capacity is listed. As of October 2020, there are 71 entries in the list, of which almost a third (31% or 22 entries) are in China.

Name Country River Installed
capacity
(MW)		 Annual
production
(TW-hour)[note 1]		 Area
flooded
(km²)		 Years of completion
Three Gorges Dam ChinaYangtze22,500103.1[6]1,0842008/2012
Itaipu Dam Brazil
 Paraguay		Paraná14,000103 [1]1,3501984/1991, 2003[note 2]
Xiluodu ChinaJinsha13,860[7]55.22014[8]
Belo Monte BrazilXingu11,233[9]39.54412016-2019
Guri VenezuelaCaroní10,23553.414,2501978, 1986
Tucuruí BrazilTocantins8,37041.433,0141984, 2007
Grand Coulee United StatesColumbia6,80920[10]3241942/1950, 1973, 1975/1980, 1983/1984, 1991[note 3]
Xiangjiaba ChinaJinsha6,44830.795.62014[11]
Longtan Dam ChinaHongshui6,42618.7[12]2007/2009
Sayano-Shushenskaya RussiaYenisei6,40026.86211985/1989, 2010/2014[note 4]
Krasnoyarsk RussiaYenisei6,000152,0001967/1972
Nuozhadu ChinaMekong5,85023.9[13]3202014[14]
Robert-Bourassa CanadaLa Grande7,722[note 5][15]26.52,8351979/1981
Churchill Falls CanadaChurchill5,428[16]356,9881971/1974
Tarbela Dam PakistanIndus4,888[17]132501976
Jinping-II ChinaYalong4,80024.232014
Bratsk RussiaAngara4,51522.65,4701961/1966
Laxiwa Dam ChinaYellow4,200[18]10.22010
Xiaowan Dam ChinaMekong4,200[19]191902010
Ust Ilimskaya RussiaAngara3,84021.71,9221980
Jirau BrazilMadeira3,75019.12582014/2016
Jinping-I ChinaYalong3,6001782.52014
Santo Antonio BrazilMadeira3,580[20]21.24902012/2016
Ilha Solteira Dam BrazilParaná3,44417.91,1951973
Ertan Dam ChinaYalong3,300171011999
Pubugou Dam ChinaDadu3,30014.62009/2010
Macagua VenezuelaCaroní3,167.515.247.41961, 1996
Xingó Hydroelectrical Power Plant BrazilSão Francisco3,16218.7[21]601994/1997
Yacyretá Argentina
 Paraguay		Paraná3,10020.091,6001994/1998, 2011
Nurek Dam TajikistanVakhsh3,01511.2981972/1979, 1988
Bath County PSP United States-3,003[22]3.323.31985, 2005/2009
Goupitan Dam ChinaWu3,000[23]9.67942009/2011
Guanyinyan Dam ChinaJinsha3,00013.622014/2016
Boguchany Dam RussiaAngara2,99717.62,3262012/2014
W. A. C. Bennett Dam CanadaPeace2,91713.81,7611968, 2012
Mica Dam CanadaColumbia2,8057.24301973, 2015
La Grande-4 CanadaLa Grande2,779[15]7651986
Gezhouba Dam ChinaYangtze2,71517.011988
Niagara Falls (US) United StatesNiagara3,840[24]01961
Volzhskaya (Volgogradskaya) RussiaVolga2,671[25]12.84[26]3,1171958/1961
Daniel-Johnson Dam CanadaManicouagan2,660[27]1,9501970/1971, 1989/1990
Chief Joseph Dam United StatesColumbia2,62010.68341958/1973/1979
Changheba ChinaDadu2,60010.82016/2017
Dagangshan ChinaDadu2,60011.432015/2016
Zhiguliovskaya (Samarskaya) RussiaVolga2,488[28]11.7[26]6,4501955/1957
Revelstoke Dam CanadaColumbia2,4808.751151984, 2011
Paulo Afonso IV BrazilSão Francisco2,462.4[29]1979/1983
Chicoasén (Manuel M. Torres) Dam MexicoGrijalva2,4301980, 2005
La Grande-3 CanadaLa Grande2,418[15]12.32,4201984
Atatürk Dam TurkeyEuphrates2,4008.98171990
Jinanqiao Dam ChinaJinsha2,40011.042010
Sơn La Dam VietnamBlack2,40010.254402010/2012
Bakun Dam MalaysiaBalui2,4006952011
Liyuan Dam ChinaJinsha2,40010.714,72014/2015
Guandi Dam ChinaYalong2,40011.872013
Iron Gates-I Romania
 Serbia		Danube2,281.811.3104.41970, 1998/2007, 2013/2016
Karun III Dam IranKarun2,2804.17482005
John Day Dam United StatesColumbia2,1608.42200~1971
Caruachi VenezuelaCaroní2,16012.952382006
Ludila ChinaJinsha2,1609.962014[30]
La Grande-2-A CanadaLa Grande2,106[15][31]2,8351992
Aswan EgyptNile2,100115,2501967/1970
Itumbiara BrazilParanaíba2,08297781980
Hoover Dam United StatesColorado2,0804.26401936/1939, 1961, 1986/1993
Cahora Bassa MozambiqueZambezi2,0752,7391975/1977
Cleuson-Dixence Complex  Switzerland-2,0694.5141965, 1998
Bureya Dam RussiaBureya2,0106.59[26]7502003/2009
Lijiaxia Dam ChinaYellow2,0005.93831997/2000
Karun I (Shahid Abbaspour) Dam IranKarun2,00054.81976, 1995, 2006
Masjed Soleyman Dam IranKarun2,0003.77.52002/2007
Ahai Dam ChinaJinsha2,0008.8823,42014[32]

Under construction

This table lists stations under construction with expected installed capacity at least 2,000 MW.

Name Country Location River Expected
capacity (MW)		 Expected
completion
Baihetan China28°15′06″N 103°39′34″EJinsha16,000[33]2021-2022
Wudongde China26°20′02″N 102°37′48″EJinsha10,200[note 6]2020[34]-2021
TaSang Myanmar20°27′23″N 98°39′0″ESalween7,110?? (on hold)
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Ethiopia11°12′51″N 35°05′35″EBlue Nile6,4502020-2023[35][36]
Diamer-Bhasha Pakistan35°31′08″N 73°47′10″EIndus River4,5002028[37]
Dasu Pakistan35°31′10″N 73°44′21″EIndus River4,3202025
Rogun Tajikistan38°41′03″N 69°46′26″EVakhsh3,600[note 7]2018-2029
Myitsone Myanmar25°41′23″N 97°31′04″EIrrawaddy3,600?? (on hold)
Mambilla Nigeria07°09′44″N 10°34′17″EDonga3,0502024[38]
Lianghekou China30°09′46″N 101°00′49″EYalong3,0002021-2023
Ituango Colombia7°05′03.6″N 75°41′16.8″WCauca2,4562021[39] (?)
Tocoma Venezuela27°33′13″N 94°15′31″ECaroní2,320?? (on hold)
Maerdang China34°40′21″N 100°41′32″EYellow2,2002020 (?)
Caculo Cabaça Angola9°41′01″S 14°58′56″ECuanza2,1722024
Koysha (fr) Ethiopia6°34′29″N 36°32′55″EOmo2,1602021
Lauca Angola9°44′34.9″S 15°07′32.2″ECuanza2,069.5[note 8]2017-2020
Shuangjiangkou China31°47′29″N 101°56′03″EDadu2,0002023
Subansiri India27°33′13″N 94°15′31″ESubansiri2,000?? (on hold)

See also

Notes
  1. Generating capacity is not the only factor determining the amount of electricity generated, as this also depends on consistent utilization of the plant's capacity. Factors enhancing this are the free capacity of the reservoir and the consistency of water supply during and across years.
  2. first unit installed in 1984, 18th in 1991; in 2003 2 additional units were installed
  3. first unit installed in 1942, 18th in 1950, 21st in 1991; 6 units in third powerplant were installed between 1975 and 1980, 2 units of pumped-storage plant were installed in 1973, 4 more units in 1983 and 1984
  4. 10 units were installed between 1985 and 1989, after 2009 failure new units were installed between 2010 and 2014
  5. Combined with adjacent La Grande-2-A the LG-2 complex has 7,722 MW of installed capacity, so would be on 7th place.
  6. 1,700 MW commissioned as of July 2020
  7. 240 MW commissioned as of September 2019
  8. 1,670 MW commissioned as of July 2019

References
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  2. "China's Three Gorges dam 'breaks world hydropower record'". Yahoo! News. AFP. 2015-01-02.
  3. Development of the Grand Inga, retrieved 2010-03-21
  4. "Africa plans biggest dam project, the Grand Inga", BBC News, 2008-04-21, retrieved 2010-03-21
  5. "World's largest hydropower project planned for Tibetan Plateau". www.chinadialogue.net. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  6. "China's largest hydropower plant breaks annual output world record". www.youtube.com. 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  7. "China's second-largest hydropower station in full operation". Xinhua News Agency. 2014-07-02. Archived from the original on 2014-10-21.
  8. 2425 (2014-07-02). "世界第三大水电站溪洛渡水电站机组全部投产-能源-人民网". Energy.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-02-22.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. "A história de Belo Monte – Cronologia". Norte Energia (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  10. "Generation Records Fall at Grand Coulee Dam". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Archived from the original on 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2006-11-18.
  11. 马常艳 (2014-06-28). "中国第三大水电站向家坝水电站将全部投产发电". Ce.cn. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
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  15. Hydro-Québec (April 2009). Powering Our Future : Annual Report 2008 (PDF). Montreal. p. 125. ISBN 978-2-550-55046-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  16. Nalcor Operations. "Churchill Falls". Nalcor Energy. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
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  22. "Bath County Pumped Storage Station | Dominion Energy". www.dominionenergy.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  24. Combined US-CA capacity >= 2 GW greater than this so would be on 17th place.
  25. "Волжская ГЭС увеличила установленную мощность в результате модернизации оборудования". www.volges.rushydro.ru. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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  29. Combined with adjacent Paulo Afonso IV, Paulo Afonso I, II, III and Apollonius Sales the Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex has 4,279 MW of installed capacity
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  31. Combined with Robert-Bourassa, it would place LG-2 complex in 5th place
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  36. "Ethiopia to fill contested dam as Nile talks falter". Deutsche Welle. 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
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  38. "Construction begins on Nigeria's 3,050-MW Mambilla hydropower plant". www.hydroworld.com. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  39. https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/hidroituango-epm-investiga-socavacion-o-vacio-en-la-montana-BA10011000
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