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The Three Gorges Dam in Central China is the world's largest power-producing facility of any kind.
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4,500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also more than nuclear power.[1] Hydropower can provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity on demand, making it a key element for creating secure and clean electricity supply systems.[1] A hydroelectric power station that has a dam and reservoir is a flexible source, since the amount of electricity produced can be increased or decreased in seconds or minutes in response to varying electricity demand. Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, it produces no direct waste, and almost always emits considerably less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel-powered energy plants.[2] However, when constructed in lowland rainforest areas, where part of the forest is inundated, substantial amounts of greenhouse gases may be emitted.[3]
Construction of a hydroelectric complex can have significant environmental impact, principally in loss of arable land and population displacement.[4][5] They also disrupt the natural ecology of the river involved, affecting habitats and ecosystems, and siltation and erosion patterns. While dams can ameliorate the risks of flooding, dam failure can be catastrophic.
In 2021, global installed hydropower electrical capacity reached almost 1,400 GW, the highest among all renewable energy technologies.[6] Hydroelectricity plays a leading role in countries like Brazil, Norway and China.[7] but there are geographical limits and environmental issues.[8] Tidal power can be used in coastal regions.
^ abCite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Renewables 2011 Global Status Report, page 25, Hydropower, REN21, published 2011, accessed 2016-02-19.
^de Faria, Felipe A M; Jaramillo, Paulina; Sawakuchi, Henrique O; Richey, Jeffrey E; Barros, Nathan (2015-12-01). "Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from future Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs". Environmental Research Letters. 10 (12): 124019. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124019. ISSN 1748-9326.
^Fearnside, Philip M. (1989-07-01). "Brazil's Balbina Dam: Environment versus the legacy of the Pharaohs in Amazonia". Environmental Management. 13 (4): 401–423. doi:10.1007/BF01867675. ISSN 1432-1009. S2CID 154405904.
^Yardley, Jim (2007-11-19). "Chinese Dam Projects Criticized for Their Human Costs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
^IEA (2022), Renewables 2022, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2022, License: CC BY 4.0
^"BP Statistical Review 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^"Large hydropower dams not sustainable in the developing world". BBC News. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity...
of hydroelectricity as of 2021. China's installed hydroelectric capacity in 2021 was 390.9 GW, including 36.4 GW of pumped storage hydroelectricity capacity...
by dams to larger areas. Another application of hydroelectricity is Pumped-storage hydroelectricity which does not create a net gain in power but enables...
principally for hydroelectric power generation, and is also applied as one half of an energy storage system known as pumped-storage hydroelectricity. Hydropower...
inflow and evaporation would produce a continuous flow to generate hydroelectricity. Eventually, the depression would become a hypersaline lake or a salt...
world's 33,105 large dams (over 15 metres in height) were used for hydroelectricity. The U.S. produces 3% of its electricity from 80,000 dams of all sizes...
The electricity sector in Norway relies predominantly on hydroelectricity. A significant share of the total electrical production is consumed by national...
Japan was the world's sixth largest producer of hydroelectricity in 2020. Most of Japanese hydroelectric power plants are pumped-storage plants. Conventional...
population. Brahmaputra has highest potential in terms of generating Hydroelectricity followed by Indus, Ganga. East-flowing rivers have the largest potential...
International Hydropower Association, Canada is the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world in 2021 after the United States, Brazil, and China. In...
for 14.6, or 94%. Hydroelectric energy played a main role in the Italian industrialization since late 19th century. Hydroelectricity contributed for about...
Manjung Bakun Dam Tuanku Jaafar Tenaga Nasional Berhad operates three hydroelectric schemes in the peninsula with an installed generating capacity of 1...
Tala Hydroelectric Power Station is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station on the Wangchu River in Chukha District, Bhutan. The station consists...
Hydroelectricity is not prevalent in Hungary due to unsuitable geographical conditions and civil resentment. The country's capacity of hydroelectricity...
but they currently have higher net lifetime costs.: 38 By 2022, hydroelectricity is the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, providing...
World War II, the focus of dam construction shifted to production of hydroelectricity. Irrigation efforts resumed after the war. River development occurred...
the plants are in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has nine hydroelectric power plants which together accounted for one third of its domestic...
generates over 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, namely hydroelectricity (approximately 80%) and geothermal (approximately 20%). Iceland was...
domestically produced electricity used in Brazil. Brazil relies on hydroelectricity for 65% of its electricity, and the Brazilian government plans to expand...
renewable energy sources. In a hydroelectric power station water flows through turbines using hydropower to generate hydroelectricity. Power is captured from...
300,000 barrels/day at a given point. The country also stands out in hydroelectricity, where it was the 14th country in the world in terms of installed capacity...
town of Kamianske. Hydroelectricity in Ukraine "Середньодніпровська ГЕС" (in Ukrainian). UHE. Retrieved 10 August 2022. "Hydroelectric Power Plants in Ukraine"...
generation from hydroelectricity between 1990 and 2012 (GW hours), excluding pumped-storage schemes. United Kingdom net installed hydroelectricity capacity between...
This article provides a list of the largest hydroelectric power stations by generating capacity. Only plants with capacity larger than 3,000 MW are listed...
of its hydroelectricity to India during summer months. To date, the Bhutanese electric energy supply has been virtually entirely hydroelectric. Due to...
Conduit hydroelectricity (or conduit hydropower) is a method of using mechanical energy of water as part of the water delivery system through man-made...
the Oconee river were dammed to create a 45,000-kilowatt (60,000 hp) hydroelectric generating station. Development of this lake as a recreational area...
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