Generating Station

A hydroelectric generating station is a plant that produces electricity by using water to propel the turbines, which, in turn, drive the generators.

These power stations generate about a quarter of all the electricity used in the world. With 59 hydropower stations and access to vast water reserves, Hydro-Québec uses water to generate almost all of its energy output—98% in 2008. In this way, the company helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Watch the video
Water rushes down the penstock to the turbine. Its force drives the turbine, which in turn makes the rotor spin and generates the back-and-forth motion of electrons.

Check out this interactive animation to see how hydropower is generated

Generating station with reservoir

A power station supplied by the water that accumulates in an artificial lake created by building a dam (retaining structure).

A head that's higher than the Eiffel Tower!

Sainte-Marguerite-3 generating station has a 330-metre head of water. That's 6 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower, antenna included.

Run-of-river generating station

A power station fed directly by a river. It has little or no water storage capacity. Its head is usually not very high, so its generating output will depend on the flow of the river.

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