Basic conceptsTriple energy conversion: Energy sources – Heat – Rotation – Electricity

Thermal power plants convert chemically bound fossil fuels into electricity and heat. Burning chemical fuels such as coal and gas generates thermal energy that is converted into rotational energy in spinning turbines. This rotation therefore enables electrical energy, i.e. electricity, to be produced in the generators – like a dynamo on a bike.
This principle is also used when burning biomass in power plants or when utilising the heat from the sun in solar thermal power plants.