powerplant

A power plant, or power station, is a facility that generates electricity by converting one or more forms of primary energy into electrical energy. The electricity is produced by rotating generators coupled to turbines or other energy converters, and it is then sent through transformers to increase the voltage for transmission over the grid. Plants are typically described by their capacity, measured in megawatts (MW), and by their role in the power system, such as baseload or peaking plants.

Power plants differ by energy source. Fossil fuel plants burn coal, oil, or natural gas to produce heat that turns water into steam, which drives a turbine. Nuclear plants use nuclear heat in a similar steam cycle. Hydroelectric plants exploit the potential energy of water to turn turbines directly. Renewable energy plants include wind farms that drive generators, solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight directly to electricity, geothermal and biomass facilities. Some solar thermal plants generate steam using concentrated sunlight.

Core components typically include turbines, generators, boilers or heat exchangers, condensers, cooling systems, transformers, switchyards, and control rooms. A reliable plant requires fuel supply, water, cooling capacity, and waste handling. Environmental and safety requirements address emissions, thermal pollution, radiation protection (for nuclear facilities), and decommissioning at the end of a plant's life. The term power plant is commonly used interchangeably with power station.