Global Power Plants

Our Global Power Plant Index contians data from 34,479 power plants across the globe.

Types of Power Plants

Across the world there are more than 34,000 power plants of various type. Below you find information how these types varies from one another and what strength and weaknesses they pose as a source of energy, and what societal and environmental impact they pose.

Biomass Power Plants

Biomass power plants generate electricity by burning organic materials, such as wood, agricultural waste, and other plant matter. Biomass is considered to be a renewable energy source because the organic materials used to generate electricity can be replenished through sustainable forestry and agricultural practices.

In a biomass power plant, organic materials are typically burned in a combustion chamber, which heats water and generates steam. The steam then powers a turbine, which drives a generator to produce electricity. The process is similar to that used in coal-fired power plants, except that biomass is used as the fuel source instead of coal.

Biomass power plants are considerd environmentally friendly by most, while cases have been found where the same combustion chambers are used for burning other, non-environmentally friendly materials.

There are currenlty more than 1300 biomass power plants spanning earth today.

Coal-fired Power Plants

These are power plants that burn coal to produce steam, which powers a turbine and generates electricity. Coal is a non-renewable fossil fuel and the burning of coal releases greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Even though coal-fired power are in decline, there are still more than 2300 coal power plants operating across the globe.

Geothermal Power Plants

These types of power plants use heat from the earth's crust to generate steam, which powers a turbine and generates electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that is considered environmentally friendly. Much like Hydropower, geothermal powerplants can only be implemented in specific geo graphic regions that allow for optimal harvesting of geothermal heat. There are currently 187 geothermal power plants in the world (that is recorded in our global power plant index).

Natural Gas Power Plants

Another type of power plant is the gas-powered ones, these plants burn natural gas to produce electricity. Natural gas is a cleaner-burning fossil fuel than coal, but it is still a non-renewable resource. Across the globe there are 3,954 of various gas-powered power plants.

Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear energy is generally considered to be more efficient than many other sources of energy, particularly in terms of the amount of energy produced per unit of fuel consumed. In fact, nuclear power is among the most energy-dense forms of energy available, which means that a small amount of nuclear fuel can produce a large amount of electricity.

In terms of energy density, nuclear fuel is estimated to be millions of times more energy-dense than fossil fuels like coal or oil. This means that a small amount of nuclear fuel can produce a large amount of energy, making nuclear power a potentially more efficient source of energy than fossil fuels.

In addition, nuclear power plants can operate continuously for long periods of time, with some plants operating for up to 60 years or more. This means that nuclear power plants can produce a consistent and reliable supply of electricity, which can be particularly valuable in regions where other sources of energy are not as reliable or consistent.

However, it's important to note that there are also significant risks and drawbacks associated with nuclear power, including safety concerns, the high cost of building and maintaining nuclear power plants, and the challenge of managing and disposing of nuclear waste. As a result, many countries are investing in a variety of different energy sources, including renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, in order to diversify their energy mix and reduce their dependence on any one source of energy.

Currently, there are 191 nuclear power plants operating on earth.

Hydropower Plants

Hydropower plants use the kinetic energy of moving water to generate electricity. Hydropower is a nonpolluting, renewable source of energy that is considered to be more environmentally friendly than most of its counterparts. However, they are constructed as dams or other structures to create a water reservoir, which can have an environmental impact for water migrating oranisms and species in the area of construction. They can also pose a risk to inhabitants down stream, if these dams or reservoir would collapse. Hydropower plants are mostly located near rivers with strong water flow and water can be stored up saftley.

Solar Power Plant

Solar power has been a hot topic in recent years, it utilize solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar energy is a renewable resource, but the technology is still relatively expensive and the production of solar panels can have environmental impacts. Today there are more solar power plants across the globe than ever before.

Wind Power Plants

Wind power, most commonly make use of wind turbines to generate electricity from the kinetic energy of the wind. Much like Hydropower, wind energy is a renewable resource that is considered environmentally friendly. However, wind power plants can have environmental and visual impacts. Wind farms are mostly located in open areas, on top of mountains or at sea where wind is optimal.

Common Questions

Questions and answers that might help you better understand the data set and its representation.

What does Capacity of a power plant mean?

Capacity = Maximum Power Output

The capacity or maximum capacity is the amount of electricity a power plant can produce when it's running at maximum efficiency. This maximum amount of power, in our case is measured in megawatts (MW). So if a power plant has a capacity of 1000MW and it is producing at full capacity for one hour, it is generating 1000 megawatt hours (MWh) or 1 gigawatt hour (GWh)

Data Information

This data is a derivitive set of data gathered by source mentioned below.

Data Sources

Global Energy Observatory/Google/KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm/Enipedia/World Resources Institute/database.earth