powerplants

Power plants, also known as electricity generating plants, are facilities that convert primary energy sources into electrical power for transmission and distribution. They range from large fossil fuel and nuclear plants to renewable facilities such as hydro, wind, and solar. Most plants feed electricity into a grid that delivers power to homes and industries.

Thermal power plants use heat to produce steam that drives turbines connected to generators. They may burn coal, oil, natural gas, or use nuclear fission. Hydroelectric plants use flowing water to turn turbines, while pumped-storage facilities move water between reservoirs to store energy and provide grid balancing.

Solar photovoltaic plants convert sunlight directly into electricity, while wind farms use turbines driven by wind. Geothermal and biomass facilities generate power using heat from the Earth or organic matter. Systems vary in scale from utility-scale installations to smaller, on-site generators.

Key components common to many plants include a heat source (boiler or reactor), a turbine, a generator, a condenser or cooling system, transformers, and control systems. Operation ranges from baseload to intermediate or peaking power, with differences in fuel use, efficiency, capital costs, and ramping capability. Maintenance, fuel supply, and component aging affect availability.

Environmental and safety considerations include air emissions, water use, waste handling, and decommissioning. Nuclear plants require rigorous safety regimes and regulatory licensing, while other plants address environmental permits and emission controls.

Economic and planning decisions address capacity additions, grid reliability, siting, and retirement of aging units, with trends toward retrofits, energy storage, and greater integration with variable renewables.