Today, hydropower is the most widely used form of renewable
energy, but still accounts for only 16 percent of global electricity
generation. Lack of accessible water sources is one of the main reasons
why hydropower is lagging behind alternatives such as fossil fuels and
nuclear power. But this is expected to change in the next few decades as
several major hydroelectric projects are underway mostly in the
Asia-Pacific region, that already generates 32 percent of global
hydropower. China is the largest hydroelectricity producer.
Three Gorges Dam, China
The
Three Gorges Dam that spans the Yangtze River in Hubei province, China,
is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity
(22,500 MW). Made of concrete and steel, the dam is 2,335 meters long
and 181 meters tall. More than 102.6 million cubic meters of earth was
moved to make way for 27.2 million cubic meters of concrete and 463,000
tonnes of steel, enough to build 63 Eiffel Towers. It cost the state US$
22.5 billion to build the dam.
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