We’re always keen to hear about eco projects, regardless of the scale they’re on, but it’s always especially exciting to hear about projects that are going above and beyond in terms of scale.
We’ve rounded up 5 of the world’s largest renewable energy projects across the globe to show you some of the incredible work by a number of different organisations that’s going into making the planet a greener place. There’s also a really interesting topic on Lloyds.com regarding insuring large energy projects that’s a really interesting read, too!
1. The World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm – Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farm Lincolnshire, England
Completed on time and on budget in 2008, its 54 Siemens Wind Power 3.6-107 wind turbines located in the North Sea off the coast of Lincolnshire have a generating capacity of 194 MW; which is enough to power 130,000 homes on average. Each turbine is 353 feet (107 meters) in diameter and turns on a hub that is 265 feet (80 meters) above sea level. Click here to read more about the project’s background.
2. The World’s Largest Hydroelectric Dam – Yichang, Hubei province, China
As of December the 18th 2007, the electricity production capacity of the Three Gorges Dam in China reached an almighty 14.1 gigawatts; which meant it surpassed the previous world’s most productive dam – the Itaipu Dam on the border of Brazil and Paraguay. It spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in Yiling District.
3. The World’s Largest Dry Biomass-Fired Power Plant Oy Alholmens Kraft – Pietarsaari, Finland
The Oy Alholmens Kraft power plant contains the largest boiler of its kind in the entire world – as you can see here at 550 megwatts of heat it is truly one of a kind. To run and fuel the boiler, the plant relies on locally sourced bark, branches and peat. When this is burnt, it generates a peak output of 240 megawatts of electricity. You can read more about this project here.
4. The World’s Largest Tidal Power Barrage Rance – Bretagne, France
The oldest project on the list, the Tidal Power Barrage Rance (a dam) was completed in 1967 and is the world’s first (and still the world’s largest) power plant that produces electricity from tides. It cost approximately $134 million to build the 24 10-megawatt build turbines that sit in the barrage beneath the surface; power plant construction contractors were in charge of this construction. There have been proposals in the UK to build a tidal power barrage across the Severn Estuary, which separates England and Wales, which would be set to be 7.4 miles long.
5. The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Plant Solar Energy Generating Systems – Southern California
It’s common to see solar panels for Temecula residents, but the Solar Energy Generating Systems in Southern California still holds the record for being the largest solar thermal project since it was completed back in 1990. Designed, built and operated by Luz International, the 9 separate solar thermal power plants spread across California’s Mojave Desert. They can collectively produce 354 megawatts of power.