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Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power. [1] Hydropower is a method of sustainable energy ...
Hydropower is a flexible source of electricity since stations can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands. [31] Hydro turbines have a start-up time of the order of a few minutes. [37] Although battery power is quicker its capacity is tiny compared to hydro. [2]
The Grand Coulee Dam in the United States was expanded with a pump-back system in 1973. [78] Existing dams may be repowered with reversing turbines thereby extending the length of time the plant can operate at capacity. Optionally a pump back powerhouse such as the Russell Dam (1992) may be added to a dam for increased generating capacity ...
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity distinguishes run-of-the-river and pondage hydropower plants, which can hold enough water to allow generation for up to 24 hours (reservoir capacity / generating capacity ≤ 24 hours), from reservoir hydropower plants, which hold far more than 24 hours of generation without ...
The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei, China, has the world's largest instantaneous generating capacity at 22,500 MW of power. In second place is the Baihetan Dam, also in China, with a capacity of 16,000 MW. The Itaipu Dam in Paraguay and Brazil is the third largest with 14,000 MW of power.
Inside the Robert-Bourassa generating station, in northern Quebec, the world's largest underground power station, with an installed capacity of 5,616 MW.. An underground power station is a type of hydroelectric power station constructed by excavating the major components (e.g. machine hall, penstocks, and tailrace) from rock, rather than the more common surface-based construction methods.
The dam is located in the upstream region of the Hida River, which is part of the Kiso River system. The dam was constructed exclusively for hydroelectric power generation and is managed by the Chubu Electric Power Company. It is the highest dam on the Hida River, with a height of 133 meters.
The Hoover Dam in Arizona and Nevada was the first hydroelectric power station in the United States to have a capacity of at least 1,000 MW upon completion in 1936. Since then numerous other hydroelectric power stations have surpassed the 1,000 MW threshold, most often through the expansion of existing hydroelectric facilities.