Power station

A power station is a place where electricity is generated on a large scale for distribution. With present technology it is more economic to have a large centralised power generating station, than many smaller ones.

Conventional power stations use steam turbines to turn generators to generate electricity. Power stations differ in the type of fuel they use to boil water to create steam. Common fuels include coal, natural gas, or a nuclear reactor. But other fuels such as wood, biomass, or old tires are also sometimes used.

Power stations also have "cooling towers" (fat vertical cylindrical objects which look like chimneys) where the steam used in the turbines is allowed to condense back into water, and be re-used.

Other means of generating electricity include: hydroelectricity, wind power, wave power, solar power geothermal electricity.