List of largest hydroelectric power stations

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.

Three Gorges Dam (left), Gezhouba Dam (right)

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. Despite the large difference in installed capacity between Three Gorges Dam and Itaipu Dam, they generate nearly equal amounts of electrical energy during the course of an entire year – Itaipu 103 terawatt-hours (370 PJ) in 2016^[1] and Three Gorges 111.8 TWh (402 PJ) in 2020,^[2] because the Three Gorges experiences six months per year when there is very little water available to generate power, while the Paraná River continuously feeds the Itaipu with an ample supply of water year-round.

Energy output of the Three Gorges reaches 125 TWh (450 PJ) in years of high feed availability. The Three Gorges (22,500 MW - 32 × 700 MW and 2 × 50 MW) is operated jointly with the much smaller Gezhouba Dam (2,715 MW). The total generating capacity of this two-dam complex is 25,215 MW. The Itaipu on the Brazil–Paraguay border has 20 generator units with overall 14,000 MW of installed capacity. However, the maximum number of generating units allowed to operate simultaneously cannot exceed 18 (12,600 MW).

The Jinsha River (the upper stream of Yangtze River) complex is the largest hydroelectric generating system currently under construction. It has three phases. Phase one includes four dams on the downstream of the Jinsha River. They are Wudongde Dam, Baihetan Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, with generating capacity of 10,200 MW, 16,000 MW, 13,860 MW, and 7,798 MW respectively. Phase two includes eight dams on the middle stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 21,150 MW. Phase three includes eight dams on the upper stream of the Jinsha River. The total generating capacity is 8,980 MW. The total combined capacity of the Jinsha complex with the Three Gorges complex will be 103,203 MW.

As of 2025^[update], plans exist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the construction of a hydroelectric power station set to overtake the Three Gorges,^[3] with an installed capacity of 39,000 MW.^[4][5] The Project is called Grand Inga and is planned to be realised on the lower Congo River.^[6] As of 2014^[update], China is working on a 50,000 MW^[7] dam as part of the Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric and Water Diversion Project. Another proposal, Penzhin Tidal Power Plant, presumes an installed capacity up to 87,100 MW.

The largest hydroelectric power stations top the list of the largest power stations of any kind, are among the largest hydraulic structures and are some of the largest artificial structures in the world.

List

Completed

Only operational power stations with an installed capacity of at least 3,000 MW. Some of these may have additional units under construction, but only current installed capacity is listed.

Name	Country	Location	River	Installed capacity	Annual production [note 1]	Area flooded	Reservoir volume[8]	Years of completion
Three Gorges Dam	China	30°49′15″N 111°00′08″E	Yangtze	22,500 MW	111.8 terawatt-hours (402 PJ)[9]	1,084 km2	39.3 km3	2008/2012
Baihetan Dam	China	27°13′23″N 102°54′11″E	Jinsha	16,000 MW	60.24 TWh (216.9 PJ)		20.62 km3[10][11]	2022[12]
Itaipu Dam	Paraguay  Brazil	25°24′31″S 54°35′21″W	Paraná	14,000 MW	103 TWh (370 PJ)[1]	1,350 km2	29 km3	1984/1991, 2003[note 2]
Xiluodu	China	28°15′52″N 103°38′47″E	Jinsha	13,860 MW[13]	55.2 TWh (199 PJ)	108 km2	12.67 km3	2014[14]
Belo Monte	Brazil	03°07′27″S 51°42′01″W	Xingu	11,233 MW[15]	39.5 TWh (142 PJ)	441 km2	1.89 km3	2016/2019
Guri	Venezuela	07°46′00″N 63°00′00″W	Caroní	10,235 MW	53.41 TWh (192.3 PJ)	4,250 km2	135 km3	1978, 1986
Wudongde	China	26°19′29.4″N 102°38′2.2″E	Jinsha	10,200 MW	38.91 TWh (140.1 PJ)		7.4 km3	2020/2021[16]
Tucuruí	Brazil	03°49′54″S 49°38′48″W	Tocantins	8,370 MW	41.43 TWh (149.1 PJ)	3,014 km2	45 km3	1984, 2007
Xiangjiaba	China	28°38′57″N 104°22′14″E	Jinsha	6,400 MW[17]	30.88 TWh (111.2 PJ)[18]	95.6 km2	5.16 km3	2014[19][20]
Grand Coulee	United States	47°57′24″N 118°59′00″W	Columbia	6,809 MW	20.24 TWh (72.9 PJ)[21]	324 km2	12 km3	1942/1950, 1973, 1975/1980, 1983/1984, 1991[note 3]
Longtan Dam	China	25°01′38″N 107°02′51″E	Hongshui	6,426 MW	18.7 TWh (67 PJ)[22]		27.27 km3	2007/2009
Sayano-Shushenskaya	Russia	52°49′31″N 91°22′15″E	Yenisei	6,400 MW	29.4 TWh (106 PJ)[23]	621 km2	31.3 km3	1985/1989, 2010/2014[note 4]
Krasnoyarsk	Russia	55°56′05″N 92°17′40″E	Yenisei	6,000 MW	18.35 TWh (66.1 PJ)	2,000 km2	73.3 km3	1967/1972
Nuozhadu	China	22°33′51″N 100°30′46″E	Mekong	5,850 MW	23.9 TWh (86 PJ)[24]	320 km2	21.75 km3	2014[25]
Robert-Bourassa	Canada	53°47′43″N 77°26′26″W	La Grande	5,616 MW[note 5][26]	31 TWh (110 PJ)	2,835 km2	61.7 km3	1979/1981
Churchill Falls	Canada	53°31′46″N 63°58′05″W	Churchill	5,428 MW[27]	35 TWh (130 PJ)	6,988 km2	32.64 km3	1971/1974
Tarbela Dam	Pakistan	34°05′23″N 72°41′54″E	Indus	4,888 MW[28]	17.39 TWh (62.6 PJ)	260 km2	13.7 km3	1976, 1992, 2018
Jinping-II	China	28°14′20″N 101°38′32″E	Yalong	4,800 MW	24.23 TWh (87.2 PJ)		0.010 km3	2014
Bratsk	Russia	56°17′10″N 101°47′10″E	Angara	4,515 MW	22.6 TWh (81 PJ)	5,470 km2	169.27 km3	1961/1966
Paulo Afonso	Brazil	09°23′49″S 38°12′08″W	São Francisco	4,279.6 MW		117 km2	1.4 km3	1954/1974, 1979/1983
Laxiwa Dam	China	36°04′13″N 101°11′08″E	Yellow	4,200 MW[29]	10.23 TWh (36.8 PJ)		1.08 km3	2010
Xiaowan Dam	China	24°42′19″N 100°05′32″E	Mekong	4,200 MW[30]	19 TWh (68 PJ)	190 km2	15 km3	2010
Ust Ilimskaya	Russia	57°58′06″N 102°41′45″E	Angara	3,840 MW	21.7 TWh (78 PJ)	1,873 km2	59.4 km3	1980
Jirau	Brazil	09°15′0″S 64°24′0″W	Madeira	3,750 MW	19.1 TWh (69 PJ)	258 km2		2014/2016
Jinping-I	China	28°11′07″N 101°37′42″E	Yalong	3,600 MW	17 TWh (61 PJ)	82.5 km2	7.76 km3	2014
Fengning PSP Station	China	41°41′03″N 116°33′12″E		3,600 MW	3.4 TWh (12 PJ)		0.070 km3	2019/2021
Santo Antonio	Brazil	08°48′06″S 63°57′03″W	Madeira	3,580 MW[31]	21.2 TWh (76 PJ)	490 km2		2012/2016
Ilha Solteira Dam	Brazil	20°22′58″S 51°21′44″W	Paraná	3,444 MW	17.9 TWh (64 PJ)	1,195 km2	21.2 km3	1973
Ertan Dam	China	26°49′16″N 101°46′52″E	Yalong	3,300 MW	17 TWh (61 PJ)	101 km2	5.8 km3	1999
Pubugou Dam	China	29°12′34″N 102°50′11″E	Dadu	3,300 MW	14.6 TWh (53 PJ)		5.39 km3	2009/2010
Macagua	Venezuela	8°18′14″N 62°40′04″W	Caroní	3,167.5 MW	15.2 TWh (55 PJ)	47.4 km2	0.36 km3	1961, 1996
Xingó	Brazil	9°37′14″S 37°47′34″W	São Francisco	3,162 MW	18.7 TWh (67 PJ)[32]	60 km2	3.8 km3	1994/1997
Yacyretá	Argentina  Paraguay	27°28′58″S 56°43′30″W	Paraná	3,100 MW	20.09 TWh (72.3 PJ)	1,695 km2	21 km3	1994/1998, 2011
Nurek Dam	Tajikistan	38°22′00″N 69°21′00″E	Vakhsh	3,015 MW	11.2 TWh (40 PJ)	98 km2	10.5 km3	1972/1979, 1988
Bath County PSP	United States	38°12′32″N 79°48′00″W		3,003 MW[33]	3.32 TWh (12.0 PJ)	3.3 km2	0.030 km3	1985, 2005/2009
Goupitan Dam	China	27°22′31″N 107°37′59″E	Wu	3,000 MW[34]	9.67 TWh (34.8 PJ)	94 km2	6.45 km3	2009/2011
Guanyinyan Dam	China	26°31′17″N 101°26′16″E	Jinsha	3,000 MW	13.62 TWh (49.0 PJ)		2.07 km3	2014/2016
Lianghekou	China	30°09′46″N 101°00′49″E	Yalong	3,000 MW	11 TWh (40 PJ)		10.77 km3	2021/2022[35]

Under construction

This table lists stations under construction with an expected installed capacity at least 3,000 MW.

Name	Country	Location	River	Expected capacity (MW)	Expected completion
TaSang	Myanmar	20°27′23″N 98°39′0″E	Salween	7,110	?? (on hold)
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance	Ethiopia	11°12′51″N 35°05′35″E	Blue Nile	5,150[note 6]	2022-2025[36][37][38]
Diamer-Bhasha	Pakistan	35°31′08″N 73°47′10″E	Indus River	4,500	2029[39]
Dasu	Pakistan	35°31′10″N 73°44′21″E	Indus River	4,320	2029[40]
Rogun	Tajikistan	38°41′03″N 69°46′26″E	Vakhsh	3,780[41][note 7]	2018[42]-2029
Myitsone	Myanmar	25°41′23″N 97°31′04″E	Irrawaddy	3,600	?? (on hold)

See also

• List of conventional hydroelectric power stations
• List of run-of-the-river hydroelectric power stations
• List of pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations
• List of largest power stations in the world
• List of tallest dams in the world
• List of largest dams
• List of countries by renewable electricity production
• List of largest power stations in the United States

Notes

1. Generating capacity is not the only factor determining the amount of electricity generated, as this also depends on consistent utilization of the plant's capacity. Factors enhancing this are the free capacity of the reservoir and the consistency of water supply during and across years.
2. First unit installed in 1984, 18th in 1991; in 2003, 2 additional units were installed.
3. First unit installed in 1942, 18th in 1950, 21st in 1991; 6 units in third powerplant were installed between 1975 and 1980, 2 units of pumped-storage plant were installed in 1973, 4 more units in 1983 and 1984.
4. 10 units were installed between 1985 and 1989; after the 2009 failure, new units were installed between 2010 and 2014.
5. Combined with adjacent La Grande-2-A the LG-2 complex has 7,722 MW of installed capacity
6. 750 MW commissioned as of August 2022
7. 760 MW commissioned as of October 2021