You can forever watch the flow of water and someone else's work, and even when the water flows and works at the same time, then the watchability doubles. The best place to spend two eternities watching is the big hydroelectric power stations. Of these, it consists of six seventh top 7 largest power plants in the world, which we have made for you, because it is very interesting for you.
In 2015, man produced 24,097.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This figure summarizes the results of approximately power plants that produce energy for industry, your devices and household appliances from wherever possible: from the atom, fossil fuel, water, wind, sun. Their total installed capacity is six thousand gigawatts. The greatest potential for at least while water possesses. But so far, according to the structure of production, it is only . Most of the largest power plants in the world are hydroelectric power plants, and only one nuclear power plant made it to the list, but first things first. To intrigue, let's start from the bottom.
7. "Grand Coulee", USA
This largest American hydroelectric power station is located on the Columbia River in the state of Washington. In addition to him, it supplies electricity to the states of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. A little current goes to Canada. Once the station was world's largest in terms of power - and even twice. The first - from 1949 to 1960. Then, one after another, several Soviet hydroelectric power stations bypassed it, but in 1983, Grand Coulee pulled ahead due to the expansion and increase in capacity. Three years later, it was replaced from the first place by the Venezuelan Guri hydroelectric power station. The final cost with all the additions was 730 million dollars - about three billion by today's standards.
This structure is twice as high as Niagara Falls, and on the square of its base all the pyramids of Giza would fit. And the star of American country and folk music, Woody Guthrie, dedicated two compositions to HPP: and .
The average annual electricity generation at Grand Coulee is 20.24 billion kWh. This would be enough to cover . Our fuel industry and machine building, chemical and petrochemical industries, food and processing industries could operate from one "Grand Cooley" building materials and others.
The installed capacity of this HPP after completion is 6809 MW. For comparison: the largest of the Ukrainian plants, Zaporozhye NPP, has a capacity of 6,000 MW.
6. Kashiwazaki Kariwa, Japan
The world's largest nuclear power plant, it is the very only nuclear power plant that still competes with hydroelectric power plants in terms of installed capacity. Japan is certainly not the best place for such structures. In 2007, there was a strong earthquake with an epicenter a couple of tens of kilometers from the station. Of the seven power units, four were operating at that moment - all were stopped. The soil under the reactors themselves moved, the nuclear power plant was damaged, radioactive water got into the sea, and radioactive dust into the atmosphere. The station was closed for restoration and strengthening work - by 2011, four power units were re-launched. But after the accident at Fukushima, Kashiwazaki-Kariva was temporarily among the completely closed stations - not a single reactor was working. Now the work of the station has been restored - .
The installed capacity of nuclear power plants is almost 8000 MW, and the annual energy production in 1999 reached 60.3 billion kWh. This would be enough to provide electricity to all Ukrainians and all our non-industrial consumers. And there would still be a little left - for example, for the food industry.
5. "Tukurui", Brazil
That's it, no more nuclear power plants and their inherent apocalypses - further in the top will be only hydroelectric power plants. Opens the first five hydroelectric power plants located in the Brazilian state of Tocantes on the river of the same name. Launched in 1984, the Tucurui station was the first large-scale project of its kind in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. In the same forests, in 1985, the adventure film "Emerald Forest" was filmed, and in this movie you can see the hydroelectric power station.
The Tukurui dam stretches for 11 kilometers and reaches 78 meters in height. The station is capable of discharging 120 thousand cubic meters of water - the largest in the world throughput. The volume of HPP reservoirs is 45 trillion liters, and this is the second indicator on the planet.
Tukurui has 25 turbines installed, the plant's capacity is 8370 MW. It generates 21.4 billion kWh annually - most of this energy is consumed by the aluminum industry. The HPP could more than provide electricity to all Ukrainian household consumers. The construction of the station cost $5.5 billion ($7.5 billion including accrued interest).
4. "Guri", Venezuela
Until 2000, this hydroelectric power station was named after Raul Leon, President of Venezuela, under whom construction began in 1963. Now it is officially named after Simon Bolivar, national hero country and a prominent figure in the war for the independence of the Spanish colonies. In many ways, it is to him that Venezuela owes the declaration of independence, and today the country is highly dependent on the hydroelectric power station named after him. In 2013, several states were left without power due to a fire that broke out in the vicinity of Guri. It covers two-thirds of Venezuela's electricity needs and sells part of the generated current to Brazil and Colombia.
In terms of annual output, this is a different league. The facility produces an average of 47 billion kWh per year — a little more than last year, the entire Ukrainian industry wound up.
The station generates an amount of energy equivalent to 300,000 barrels of oil per day. The installed capacity of Guri is 10,235 MW, and in terms of reservoir volume, it is several times larger than any hydroelectric power station in the world - 136.2 trillion liters. It is the largest freshwater reservoir in Venezuela and the 11th largest man-made lake, and the station itself was the largest in the world from 1986 to 1989.
The cost of this station is a separate issue. It is difficult to calculate it exactly, because construction took a long time, and Venezuela experienced an economic crisis during this time. The exchange rate of the dollar against the bolivar changed frequently and strongly, and in last years construction, the local currency became cheaper daily. EDELCA, one of the largest Venezuelan electricity companies of the time, in 1994 estimated the cost of the initial phase at $417 million, and the final phase of construction at 21.1 billion bolivars, which are no longer transferable.
3. Silodu, China
This station stands on the Yangtze River, in its upper reaches. The name of the building was given by the nearby city. In addition to the main purpose, "Silod" helps to control the flow river water in this place, and cleans the water itself from silt. Construction began in 2005, but was interrupted due to the fact that the environmental consequences of the launch of the hydroelectric power station were not really clear. Apparently, they were still considered favorable, or at least not unfavorable. In 2013, the first turbine was put into operation, and the station was fully operational a year later. The work cost $6.2 billion.
Silodu is equipped with 18 turbines of 770 MW each - the total installed capacity is 13,860 MW. The annual output reaches 55.2 billion kWh, more than the entire Ukrainian industry used in 2016. The Silodu Dam is 285.5 meters high and is the fourth highest in the world.
2. Itaipu, Brazil and Paraguay
If this list were compiled from 1989 to 2007, then Itaipu would be the last, that is, the first number - at that time it was the largest in terms of installed capacity. At the same time, the station still retains leadership in terms of annual output, exceeding the previous hydroelectric power station, Siloda, twice. The hydroelectric power station stands on the Parana River, along which part of the Brazilian-Paraguayan border passes. The facility is operated by a company owned by both countries, and both states receive energy from it. Itaipu supplies 71.4% of Paraguay's electricity, compared to 16.4% for Brazil. Some generators operate on the frequency of the Paraguayan network, others on the Brazilian one. At the same time, the Brazilians import that part of the energy that the Paraguayans do not use - converters from one frequency to another are installed for this.
Construction cost $19.6 billion. The plant has 20 turbines of 700 MW each, the total installed is 14,000 MW - about the same as two and a half Zaporozhye nuclear power plants.
More than three times, "Itaipu" surpasses ZNPP in terms of annual output: in 2016, the Brazilian-Paraguayan HPP produced 103 billion kWh of energy. This figure is close to the all-Ukrainian net consumption (excluding technological losses).
In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers included Itaipu in their list of the Seven Wonders. modern world- top building achievements of the twentieth century. Together with the hydroelectric power station, for example, the Channel Tunnel, the Empire State Building and the Panama Canal were included in this list. And in 1989, contemporary classical music composer Philip Glass dedicated the eponymous part of his symphonic trilogy to Itaipu. the work is majestic and even somehow frightening - it frightens more than the terrible beginning of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Well, you know, this is: "ta-da-da-dam, ta-da-da-dam."
1. "Three Gorges", China
Where else could a structure be built, the construction of which required the relocation of 1.3 million people - almost two Lvivs? This was the largest resettlement in connection with the construction, the station itself is one of the largest structures in the world for any purpose, its dam is also one of the largest. It all cost $27.6 billion. Construction on the Yangtze River began in 1992, and then, from 2003 to 2012, hydroelectric power plants were put into operation.
At the Three Gorges, 34 turbines with a total capacity of 22,500 MW are installed - one and a half times once again more powerful than the closest pursuer, "Itaipu". In terms of annual output for 2016, the Chinese station, however, was slightly inferior to the Brazilian-Paraguayan one - 93.5 billion kWh. It's not about the design or something else: it's just that Parana is cooler and more efficient than the Yangtze. The facility was supposed to cover 20% of China's electricity needs, but demand grew too fast. As a result, "Three Gorges" does not give even two percent, but it fully covers the annual growth in consumption. In addition, the emergence of a hydroelectric power station with all its infrastructure has improved the conditions for navigation in this part of the river - the cargo turnover has increased tenfold.
Finally, the work of the Chinese hydroelectric power station increased the duration of the earth's day. By lifting 39 billion kilograms to a height of 175 meters above sea level and thus removing all this mass of water from the center of the Earth, the Chinese increased the moment of inertia of the planet. The rotation slowed down, the day became longer by 0.06 microseconds, and the Earth itself slightly flattened at the poles and rounded in the middle. - and not British, but NASA.
What is being built now
In the next few years, this list will change by about half - three large hydroelectric power plants will be completed, which will be included in the top 7.
In second place will be the Chinese Baihetan station, which is expected to be completed in 2021. Its installed capacity will be 16,000 MW.
The top five will include the Brazilian Belo Monti hydroelectric power station, which was partially commissioned in May 2016. All units will start operating only in 2019, when the installed capacity will be 11,233 MW.
A year later, the Chinese will complete and fully launch another of their facilities - the Udunde hydroelectric power station. Its design capacity is 10200 MW. We hope that everything will be fine with the Earth.
After the terrible events that took place in Japan, nuclear power plants began to attract great attention of the world community. Disputes about the safety of nuclear power plants for the environment and human life do not fade away today. But such power plants require just a meager amount of fuel, which is their undoubted advantage over other types of similar structures.
There are more than 400 nuclear power plants in the world, and those that will be discussed below are the most powerful of them.
For comparison: the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power plant had a capacity of 4,000 MW.
Our rating opens with a station located on the Japanese island of Honshu. After the Fukushima disaster, the Japanese approached the construction of a new nuclear power plant with high level professionalism and extreme caution: only three out of five reactors are currently in operation. Two reactors were shut down due to technical work to improve safety and protection against natural disasters.
9. Balakovo NPP (Russia) - 4000 MW
Balakovskaya is rightfully considered the largest nuclear power plant in Russia and the most powerful power plant of its kind. It was with her that all research on nuclear fuel in our country began. All latest developments were tested here, and only after that they received permission for further use at other Russian and foreign nuclear power plants. Balakovskaya nuclear power plant produces a fifth of all nuclear power plants in Russia.
8. Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant (USA) - 4174 MW
It is the most powerful nuclear power plant in the United States. But today, the capacity of 4174 MW is not the highest figure, so this nuclear power plant occupies only the eighth line in our rating. But Palo Verde is unique in its own way: it is the only nuclear power plant in the world that is not located on the shore of a large body of water. The concept of the reactors is to cool by using wastewater from nearby settlements. However, the violation of the traditions of nuclear power plant design by American engineers raises many questions about the safety of such a power plant.
7. Ohi NPP (Japan) - 4494 MW
Another representative of the Japanese nuclear industry. There are as many as four working reactors with a total capacity of 4494 MW in the reserve of this nuclear power plant. Paradoxically, this is the safest nuclear power plant in Japan. In its entire history, there has not been a single emergency situation related to safety on Ohi. Interesting fact: after the "freeze" of the work of all nuclear power plants and a whole series of technical checks throughout the country in connection with the disaster at Fukushima, the Ohi nuclear power plant was the first to resume operation.
6. NPP Paluel (France) - 5320 MW
Although this “Frenchwoman” is located on the shore of a reservoir, like other nuclear power plants, it still has one salient feature. Not far from the nuclear power plant is the commune of "Paluel" (the question of what in honor of what the station got its name immediately disappears). The fact is that all the inhabitants of this commune are part-time workers of nuclear power plants (there are about 1200 of them). A sort of communist approach to the problem of employment.
5. NPP Gravelines (France) - 5460 MW
Gravelines is the most powerful nuclear power plant in France. It is located on the coast North Sea, whose waters are used in the cooling of nuclear reactors. France is actively developing its scientific and technical potential in the nuclear field and has on its territory big number Nuclear power plants, which together have more than fifty nuclear reactors.
4. Hanul NPP (South Korea) - 5900 MW
Hanul is not the only nuclear power plant in South Korea with a capacity of 5900 MW: the Korean "arsenal" also has a Hanbit station. The question arises, why exactly Hanul occupies the fourth line of our rating? The fact is that in the next 5 years, leading Korean experts in the field of nuclear energy are planning to "disperse" Hanul to a record 8700 MW. Perhaps, soon our rating will be headed by a new leader.
3. Zaporozhye NPP (Ukraine) - 6000 MW
Having started its work in 1993, Zaporozhye NPP has become the most powerful plant in the entire former Soviet space. Today it is the third nuclear power plant in the world and the first in Europe in terms of capacity.
Interesting fact: Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was built in close proximity to the city of Energodar. With the start of construction, a powerful flow of investments poured into the city, and the region as a whole received an economic impetus, which made it possible to develop the social and industrial sectors at a high level.
2. Bruce NPP (Canada) - 6232 MW
Perhaps the most powerful and largest nuclear power plant in all of Canada and the entire North American continent. Bruce NPP is distinguished by the scale of the occupied area - no less than 932 hectares of land. It has as many as 8 most powerful nuclear reactors in its arsenal, which brings Bruce to the second place in our rating. Until the early 2000s, not a single nuclear power plant could overtake Zaporizhzhya NPP in terms of its performance, but Canadian engineers succeeded. Another feature of the station is its "hedonic" location on the shores of the picturesque Lake Huron.
1. NPP Kashiwazaki-Kariva (Japan) - 8212 MW
Even the earthquake of 2007, after which the power in nuclear reactors had to be reduced, did not prevent this energy giant from maintaining world leadership. The maximum capacity of the nuclear power plant is 8212 MW, now its potential has been realized by only 7965 MW. Today it is the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world.
Despite the ambiguous attitude towards nuclear power plants (which is quite justified by many objective reasons), no one will argue with the fact that this is the most environmentally friendly production of all existing ones: there is practically no waste from nuclear power plants. In turn, the responsibility for safety lies on the shoulders of engineers. Literacy in design and construction - and the nuclear industry will have no enemies.
Electrical energy is an integral, one might say irreplaceable, component of our Everyday life. It is for this reason that the largest power plants in the world, like their smaller brothers, work around the clock for the benefit of mankind.
Among their huge variety, the most widespread today is in Russia and the USA, as well as in other developed countries, including in Europe, received precisely the nuclear power plants of the world.
And there is a perfectly rational explanation for this. Nuclear power It has a number of advantages that favorably distinguish it from competitors.
- The output is very cheap electricity, which ensures the economic feasibility of using precisely such industries as nuclear power plants in Europe, in particular, and the whole world, in general.
- With proper operation and compliance with all safety rules, with the use of the labor of experienced and qualified specialists, even the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world does not bring environment, absolutely no harm to the environment, in contrast to the same hydroelectric power plants, and even more so, thermal power plants.
US Nuclear Power Plants - Major Disadvantages and Threats
As noted above, power plants based on nuclear technology are very profitable in economic terms. And today, and in the medium term, replacement of these industries is not expected. Perhaps, over time, renewable energy sources will replace it, but so far the capacity of the largest nuclear power plant is comparable to the total capacity of all alternative and innovative developments. How many nuclear power plants are there in the world?
Nevertheless, with all its advantages, this type of energy also has its negative aspects, which, to one degree or another, hinder the development of the “peaceful atom”.
- Safety - " Achilles' heel» all structures. Unfortunately, humanity periodically faces tragedies, accidents in reactors - Chernobyl, Fokushima, and so on. And how many nuclear power plants in Europe were on the verge of an accident? Even experts won't talk about it. However, this is not a reason to completely abandon nuclear energy. It is necessary to pay maximum attention to the development of safe technologies that will be resistant not only to human factor, as the most dangerous, but also to natural disasters- earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, tornadoes and others. If developers and technologists manage to minimize the risks, then the largest power plants will remain nuclear for a long time to come.
- Another major problem faced by the world's power plants is the need to dispose of waste. Indeed, radioactive waste has a long half-life of several million years, when it becomes safe. But here it should be noted that even the most powerful nuclear power plant in Russia uses little fuel in terms of volume. As a result, well-organized burial grounds do not take up much space. True, they require constant monitoring and care.
What is the most powerful power plant in the world?
As practice shows, the most cost-effective are large power plants. And the largest power plant in the world is located in Japan. It is called Kashiwazaki-Kariwa. Its operating capacity in 2010 was 8.2 thousand MW. After the well-known earthquakes in this country, the power decreased slightly to 7.9 GW. However, even with these indicators, the station remains the largest and most powerful in the world. To be fair, there was a point after the Fakushima disaster when the equipment was stopped for a while for maintenance. However, today the station operates in the same mode.
In second place is the most powerful power plant in North America- "Bruce" (Canada). This production was put into operation relatively recently, only in 1987. The total capacity of eight reactors reaches 6.2 GW in normal mode. By the way, before that, Zaporozhye NPP was in second place.
The largest power plant in our country
Undoubtedly, Russia is one of the largest players in the nuclear energy market. Let not the most big power plant in the world, but the largest in our country is located on the banks of the Saratov reservoir - the Balakovo nuclear power plant. It was launched in 1985. The total power of the reactors is approximately 4,000 kW. By the way, about 4,000 people work at the station. service personnel. To some extent, Balakovo NPP has become a testing ground for all innovative developments in the field of nuclear energy.
In conclusion, it can be concluded - atomic Energy for a long time will occupy a leading position in the entire world community. The most important thing is that specialists can provide the necessary level of security.
To date, there are more than 400 operating nuclear power plants in the world, mainly in countries such as the USA, France, Japan and in the post-Soviet space - in Russia and Ukraine. Which of them is the most powerful nuclear power plant? After all, nuclear power plants are different in the type of reactors, as well as in the number of reactors. There are very low-power ones like Russian or, and sometimes quite tiny like or. And there are stations that provide their electricity to entire industrial regions. We will talk about them. Your attention is invited TOP 10 most powerful nuclear power plants in the world!
Rating of the TOP-10 largest nuclear power plants in the world
10th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in Russia
Balakovo NPP - 4,000 MW
Location of the largest nuclear power plant in Russia: Russia, Saratov region
Location of the largest US nuclear power plant: USA, Arizona
- the most powerful nuclear power plant in the United States. This nuclear power plant provides electricity to four million people with a maximum peak power of 4,174 MW from three reactors. The Palo Verde nuclear power plant is the only nuclear power plant in the world not located near a large body of water. Wastewater from nearby cities is used for cooling.
8th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in China
Hongyanhe NPP - 4,437 MW
Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant Location: China, Liaoning Province
Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning province in China. The station includes four reactors, and their total capacity reaches 4,437 MW.
7th place. France's third nuclear power plant
Cattenom - 5,200 MW
Location of the Kattenom Nuclear Power Plant: France, province of Lorraine
The capacity in France's Alsace-Lorraine province is 5,200 MW for four reactors. Surprisingly, the station takes quite small area, especially in comparison with the aforementioned largest US nuclear power plant in Palo Verde.
6th place. Second nuclear power plant in France
Paluel - 5,320 MW
Location of Paluel nuclear power plant: France, Upper Normandy
5th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in France and Western Europe
Gravelines - 5,460 MW
Location of the largest nuclear power plant in France: France, province of Gravelines
- the most powerful and largest nuclear power plant in France. The total capacity of this nuclear power plant is 5,460 MW.
4th place. The second nuclear power plant in South Korea
Hanbit (Yeonggwang) - 5,875 MW
Location of Hanbit NPP: South Korea
3rd place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in South Korea
Hanul - 5,881 MW
Location of the largest nuclear power plant in South Korea: South Korea
The largest nuclear power plant in South Korea- , only slightly ahead of the previous applicant from this country - Hanbit. The maximum power of this station is this moment 5,881 MW.
2nd place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in Europe and Ukraine
Zaporozhye NPP - 6,000 MW
Location of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe: Ukraine, Zaporozhye region
- the most major station Ukraine, Europe and the post-Soviet space. The station's six reactors provide a peak power of 6,000 MW and make it the main electricity supplier in Ukraine.
1st place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in the world, North America and Canada
Bruce County - 6,232 MW
Location of the largest nuclear power plant in Canada: Canada, Ontario
In Canada, it is the most powerful nuclear power plant in North America, as well as the most powerful operating nuclear power plant in the world. The maximum capacity of the eight reactors currently in use is 6,232 MW. Until 2015, the two reactors of the station were at the stage of modernization for a decade and a half.
Potential first place - Japan's Largest Nuclear Power Plant
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa - 7,965 MW
Location of Kashiwazaki-Kariva Nuclear Power Plant: Japan, Niigata Prefecture
- the largest nuclear power plant in Japan and the world, which can rightly be called the most powerful. It includes seven reactors with a total maximum capacity of 7,965 MW. But, like many Japanese nuclear power plants, it was shut down after the Fukushima-1 incident and at the beginning of 2017 is still considered temporarily shut down.
Former 1st place. Fukushima-1 and Fukushima-2
Now it's impossible to imagine further development human society without electricity. All industries, communications, transport, production and operation household appliances built on electricity. And every day it needs more and more. New ways of obtaining this important resource are being developed. Many countries of the world are looking for renewable alternative energy sources that can completely replace traditional ones and stop entering the atmosphere. carbon dioxide contributing to the greenhouse effect. Nuclear energy, which is based on the use of controlled reactions in nuclear reactors, makes it possible to obtain a large number of electricity. The most powerful nuclear power plant in the world generates more electricity than all alternative sources combined.
There are currently 191 nuclear power plants operating worldwide, with a total capacity of about 392,168 MW. Modern nuclear power plants use different types reactors. For example, the largest operating power unit is installed at the Sivo Nuclear Power Plant, a functioning nuclear power plant in western France. Its first and second units operate on a PVR pressurized water nuclear reactor, each with a capacity of 1,561 MW. The height of the cooling towers is 180 m.
Despite the fact that the attitude towards nuclear power plants in many countries of the world is very ambiguous, today only they can provide the required amount of electricity. With all safety measures, proper design and operation, nuclear power plants can operate without failures. The advantages of this method of generating electricity are obvious:
- economic benefit based on low cost of production;
- no harmful emissions;
- low cost of fuel delivery;
- the possibility of long-term work in a controlled autonomous mode;
- a small number of staff.
In Japan, Niigata Prefecture, in the city of Kashiwazaki, a nuclear power plant was built, consisting of seven reactors. Five of them are BWRs and two are advanced ABWRs. Their total capacity is 8,212 MW. The first power unit began generating electricity in 1985.
Due to the earthquake that occurred on July 16, 2007, which had an estimate of 6.8 on the Richter scale, as well as the epicenter located 19 km from the nuclear power plant, the work of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was suspended. During the earthquake, only four power units were operating, and three were undergoing scheduled inspections. As a result of soil movement under the reactors, the station received more than 50 damages. A fire broke out at the transformer of block No. 3. The owners of the nuclear power plant claim that it began due to direct contact of copper wires and "another metal", as a result of which a spark flared up and oil liquids ignited. During strong tremors, the transformer substation of the first power unit was moved, and most of wires are disconnected. On blocks No. 1, 2, 4, 7, barriers were damaged at the transformers, which were intended to prevent oil leakage. Only the transformers of the fifth power unit remained intact.
However, the consequences of the leakage of radioactive water from the tanks where the spent fuel was stored, directly under the sixth reactor, were the most severe. In addition, the amount of liquid that leaked into the sea remained unknown. In addition, 438 containers with radioactive waste were overturned by the elements. Due to special filters damaged as a result of strong shocks, radioactive dust got outside the nuclear power plant. Japanese experts pointed out that transformer buildings and a number of other buildings in which non-nuclear equipment was installed had an insignificant seismic margin. Therefore, everyone was still lucky that the fire broke out only on one transformer.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa was shut down for inspection, refurbishment and additional anti-seismic measures. Damage from the earthquake was estimated at US$12.5 billion. Only losses from NPP downtime and its repairs amounted to $5.8 billion.
After a series of restoration work and the necessary repairs in May 2009, the seventh power unit (which suffered less than others) was launched in test mode. In August of the same year, the sixth was launched, and the first began its work only on May 31, 2010. Units 2, 3 and 4 were never started until the later Fukushima disaster. In this regard, it was decided to shut down all operating Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors.
Other largest nuclear power plants in the world
The second place in terms of power is occupied by the Canadian nuclear power plant Bruce - 6,232 MW. It was built in 1987 on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario. It differs from other nuclear power plants in a truly huge occupied area - more than 932 hectares. It has eight operating reactors.
The third in the world in terms of the amount of electricity generated is the Zaporizhzhya NPP (Ukraine). Its capacity is 6,000 MW. It is located near the Kakhovka reservoir, not far from the city of Energodar. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe employs 11.5 thousand service personnel.
In fourth place in the world is the Hanul nuclear power plant in South Korea. Its capacity is 5,900 MW. But that's for now. In the future, its capacity is planned to be increased to 8,700 MW.
The Balakovo NPP is considered the most powerful nuclear power plant. It is located in the Saratov region, 8 km from the city of Balakovo. Its capacity is more than 3,000 MW, which is approximately equal to one fifth of the total energy generated by all nuclear power plants in the country. The station is served by 3,770 people. Stable water supply, necessary for the trouble-free operation of water-cooled power reactors, is provided by a closed circuit, which is formed by building dams on part of the Saratov reservoir. The location of the nuclear power plant was chosen taking into account the sanitary zones that do not require the demolition of nearby settlements.
Since the second half of the 20th century, nuclear power plants have been generating great amount cheap electricity that improves technology and quality of life for most people on our planet. Now it has become clear that the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world must also be the most reliable, earthquake-resistant and safe.
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