Thanks to the topographical height difference between the load tank and the power plant, an hydroelectric plant transforms the potential energy of water into mechanical energy from the rotation of the turbine. The mechanical energy is directly converted into electrical power by means of the power unit. The hydroelectric system is made up of civil and hydraulic works (a dam or a flood control crossbeam; a supply system, a load tank, convoy and restitution structures, pipeline transports, a power station building) and of electro-mechanical equipment (water turbines, power units; switchboards, control systems).
