Visualizing the World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dams

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Did you know that hydroelectricity is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy? According to recent figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), it represents 40% of total capacity, ahead of solar (28%) and wind (27%).

This type of energy is generated by hydroelectric power stations, which are essentially large dams that use the water flow to spin a turbine. They can also serve secondary functions such as flow monitoring and flood control.

To help you learn more about hydropower, we’ve visualized the five largest hydroelectric dams in the world, ranked by their maximum output.

Overview of the Data

The following table lists key information about the five dams shown in this graphic, as of 2021. Installed capacity is the maximum amount of power that a plant can generate under full load.

Country	Dam	River	Installed Capacity (gigawatts)	Dimensions (meters)
China	Three Gorges Dam	Yangtze River	22.5	181 x 2,335
Brazil / Paraguay	Itaipu Dam	Parana River	14.0	196 x 7,919
China	Xiluodu Dam	Jinsha River	13.9	286 x 700
Brazil	Belo Monte Dam	Xingu River	11.2	90 X 3,545
Venezuela	Guri Dam	Caroni River	10.2	162 x 7,426

At the top of the list is China’s Three Gorges Dam, which opened in 2003. (Read more...)