The document lists and describes the 25 largest power plants in the world by generation capacity. The largest is the Three Gorges Dam in China with a capacity of 18,460 MW. The Itaipu Dam in Brazil has the second largest capacity at 14,750 MW. The third largest is the Simon Bolivar plant in Venezuela with 10,055 MW of capacity.

1. The World's 25 Biggest Power Plants

2. 2. Itaipu power plant (Brazil) Capacity: 14,750 MWT The second largest hydroelectric power plant on the Brazil-Paraguay border currently has over 20 generator units. 1. Three Gorges Dam (China) Capacity: 18,460 MW The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest hydropower project. Built on the Yangtze River in China, its construction began in 1994 and it will be fully operational this year. It is expected to produce as much as 22.5 gigawatts (GW) of power. In August 2009, the plant produced 18.3 GW, more than any other power plant in the world. The Three Gorges Dam is still under construction.

3. 3. Simon Bolivar (Venezuela) Capacity: 10,055 MW Venezuela meets 82 per cent of its electricity needs from the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Power Station. 4. Tucurui (Brazil) Capacity: 8,370 MW Tucurui is the third largest power generator in Brazil, representing 10 per cent of Brazil's installed capacity.

4. 6. Bruce Power (Canada) Capacity: 6,830 MW Bruce Power is Canada's first private nuclear generator. 5. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (Japan) Capacity: 8,206 MW Owned and operated by The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the largest nuclear generating station in the world by net electrical power rating.

5. 7. Sayanao-Shushenskaya Dam (Russia) Capacity: 6,500 MW Located on the Yenisei River in Russia, it is the largest power plant in Russia and the sixth-largest hydroelectric plant in the world. 8. Grand Coulee (United States) Capacity: 6,495 MW Grand Coulee is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in Washington. It is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States and one of the largest concrete structures in the world.

6. 9. Longtan (China) Capacity: 6,426 MW Longtan Dam is a large roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam on the Hongshui River in China. 10. Krasnoyarsk (Russia) Capacity: 6,000 MW The Krasnoyarsk Dam is a 124-metre (407 ft) high concrete gravity dam located on the Yenisey River in Divnogorsk, Russia.

7. 11. Zaporizhzhya (Ukraine) Capacity: 6,000 MW The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant on the bank of Kakhovsky reservoir is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and 3rd largest in the world 12. Poryong (Republic of Korea) Capacity: 5,954 MW The Poryong plant is operated by Korea Electric Power company. The world's sixth largest nuclear power producer, Korea operates 21 nuclear power plants commercially.

8. 14. Yonggwang (Republic of Korea) Capacity: 5,900 MW The Yonggwang plant, one of the largest nuclear plants in Korea, has been operating six reactors since 1978. 13. Ulchin (Republic of Korea) Capacity: 5,900 MW Ulchin is one among the 21 nuclear generating stations in Korea.

9. 15. Taichung Power plant (Taiwan) Capacity: 5,834 MW The Taichung Power Plant is the largest coal-fired power station in the world. Also the no. 1 polluter as per CARMA in terms of Carbon emission by any power plants 16. Gravelines (France) Capacity: 5,706 MW The Gravelines Nuclear Power Station is the fifth largest nuclear power station in the world.

10. 17. Futtsu (Japan) Capacity: 5,598 MW The Futtsu Power Station is the second largest gas-fired power station in the world. The facility is owned by Tepco. 18. Paluel (France) Capacity: 5,528 MW Operated by EDF, the nuclear power station consists of four 1330 MWe class pressurised water reactors.

11. 19. Cattenom Nuclear Power Station (France) Capacity: 5,448 MW The Cattenom Nuclear Power Station located in Lorraine is close to the city of Luxembourg. Reactors 4 x 1362 MW 20. Churchill Falls (Canada) Capacity: 5,429 MW It is a hydroelectric power station located on the Churchill river. It is the second largest hydroelectric plant in North America Churchill Falls was, at the time of its construction in 1971 , the largest underground power station in the world. (The Robert-Bourassa power station in Quebec currently holds the record, both for installed capacity and volume of the main underground hall). 11 turbines of 493.5 MW each

12. 21. Bourassa (Canada) Capacity: 5,328 MW The Robert-Bourassa generating station (formerly known as La Grande-2) is a hydroelectric power station on the La Grande River. It is Canada's largest hydroelectric power station. 22. Waigaoqiao (China) Capacity: 5,160 MW The Waigaoqiao Power Station in Shanghai, is the second largest coal power station in the world, and the largest thermal power station in China.

13. 23. Beilun (China) Capacity: 5,000 MW The GuodianBeilun Power Station is the largest thermal power station in China, with an installed capacity of 5,000 MW. 24. Kawagoe (Japan) Capacity: 4,802 MW Kawagoe Power Station is a large gas-fired power station in Kawagoe. The facility operates at an installed capacity of 4,802 MW, making it the largest power station of its kind.

14. 25. Surgut (Russia) Capacity: 4,800 MW The Surgut-2 Power Station will be the largest oil-fired power station in the world with an installed capacity of 5,600 MW in 2011. Undergoing expansion plan involves the construction of two 400 MW units by December 2011, costing nearly RUB 19 billion, which increases its original capacity of 4,800 MW to 5,600 MW.