Man has always tried to defend himself against the elements, and with the flourishing of civilization, humanity decided to subjugate the power of nature and use it for their own purposes. Today we will talk about the most ambitious hydroelectric power plants, the value of which is comparable with national significance. We will find out what is the highest dam in the world. Below are the top 6 most massive dams on Earth.
I place - Jinping-1 HPP in China
Today it is the highest dam in the world, created by human hands. Its height reaches a value of 305 m and a length of 568 m. Jinping-1 HPP was put into operation in 2014 and immediately fell into the Guinness Book of Records, due to its impressive size. The construction of the dam began in 2005, and already 7 years later the first hydraulic engine was launched at the station. By 2015, the last, sixth unit was introduced. What distinguishes hydraulic motors at a Chinese hydropower plant from other powerful stations in the world is the power of the units. If the current power units operate at a capacity of 300 thousand kW, then we are talking about 600 thousand kW. It is also one of the most powerful dams in the world. The dam is located in Sichuan near the mouth of the Yalong River.
II place - Nurek hydroelectric station in Tajikistan
The design of the dam was started in 1950, and only after 11 years was its construction launched. It was completed only in 1972, at the same time its gradual commissioning was carried out: the first block of the unit was launched the same year, and the last - after 7 years. Thus, by 1979, the hydropower plant was operating at full capacity, providing 75% of the cost of electricity. About 11 billion kW / h of electricity is generated annually from this hydroelectric power station. Water at the hydroelectric power station is not only used to generate electricity, but is also routed through tunneled tunnels for irrigation of agricultural land.
Until 2013, it was the highest dam in the world, in height it reaches 300 m, in length - 70 km. It has a water volume of 10 km 3 , an area of 98 km 2 , and has 9 powerful generators. A dam is located on the Vakhsh river near the city of Nurek.
III place - Xiaowan HPP in China
It is the highest arched dam in the world, reaching a height of 292 m. It is located on the Mekong River. There are 7 hydropower plants under construction in China, but this is the largest among them. By construction standards, the dam was built very quickly: the construction began in 2002, and after 7 years the first engine was put into operation, in March 2010 the construction was completely completed. In 2013, the last engine was commissioned. The dam is equipped with 6 powerful hydraulic units. The average annual electricity generation is 19 billion kW / h.
The arched dam was built taking into account resistance to seismic vibrations up to 8 points on the Richter scale, it has a "thick" layer of the profile from which it was built. The underground building under the hydroelectric station has an impressive size - about 300 m in length.
IV place - Grand Dixens in Switzerland
It is the highest hydroelectric power station in Europe and the 3rd largest in the world. A dam is located on the Dixens River, in whose honor it got its name. The concrete structure reaches a height of 285 m, a length of 695 m, a width of 200 m. The reservoir contains a volume of water of 0.4 km 3 , and the tunnel connecting with the lake reaches 100 km.
The construction of this dam took place from 1951 to 1965. Grand Dixens receives meltwater from more than 30 Valaisian glaciers - this is a truly powerful structure. At the dam, excursion programs for tourists are created, from where hiking and mountain routes are conducted.
V place - Inguri hydroelectric power station in Georgia
The Inguri Hydroelectric Power Station is a Caucasian dam located at the source of the Inguri and Eristskali rivers, near the town of Jvari. This is one of the highest hydroelectric dam in the world, reaching a height of 272 m and a length of 278 m. There are 7 spillways with a diameter of 6 m for idle water discharge. In the building of the hydroelectric station, 5 hydraulic motors are installed, generating about 4.4 billion kWh of electricity per year.
Due to the fact that the Inguri hydroelectric station includes a transitional hydroelectric power station leading to the Eristskali River, which belonged to Abkhazia, cooperation between the two countries is necessary here. Thus, the Inguri hydropower complex consists of the construction of the Georgian hydroelectric power station (dam, reservoir and part of the tunnel) and the Abkhazian part of the tunnel and the construction of the hydroelectric power station. For this reason, in 1992, an agreement was reached between these countries on the distribution of electric energy to both states (60% for Georgia and 40% for Abkhazia).
VI place - Wyont Dam in Italy
This is one of the highest dams in the world, erected in the northern part of Italy, on the River Vaiont. The height of the structure is 261.6 m, and the length is 190 m. This dam has a unique structure that differs from the others: a conical shape, narrowed downwards and expanding upwards. At the base, the width reaches only 23 m, and the width along the ridge is even less - only 4 m. It is also the most “elegant” dam in the world.
10/09/1963 a terrible catastrophe occurred on the Italian dam, which claimed, according to some, from 2,000 to 3,000 people. Due to incessant torrential rains that day, a landslide occurred on the banks of the River Wyont, an area of 2 km 2 , and the rocks literally overflowed the bowl of the reservoir. A water cascade 90 m high hit all foothill areas at a speed of 8-12 m / s. The elements took only 7 minutes of time to take the lives of thousands of people and destroy several dozen structures.
Today, as on its opening day in 1959, the Italian dam Vaillont looks as flawless, without any signs of a terrible event half a century ago.
In 2001, a film of the same name was released about this incident, and many fans of the film visit this place as a tribute of respect and respect to those who died on that terrible day.