Check out the world’s tallest chimney

In the heart of Kazakhstan, piercing the sky like a metal titan, stands the world's tallest chimney. The GRES-2 power station boasts a colossal smokestack reaching a dizzying 350 metres, dwarfing nearby buildings.

This Guinness World Record holder, completed in 1987, breathes life into a coal-fired power plant. It's a monument to human ambition and engineering.

There are several key reasons why this, the world's tallest chimney in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan, reaches such staggering heights.

The primary function of a chimney is to disperse gases and pollutants released by the power plant. A taller chimney creates a stronger "stack effect," meaning gases rise with greater velocity and disperse into a larger volume of air, reducing their concentration at ground level. This is particularly essential for coal-fired plants like GRES-2, which generate significant sulphur dioxide and other harmful emissions.

Local environmental regulations might also impose specific emission limits for power plants. A taller chimney allows the plant to comply with these limits by distributing emissions over a wider area, potentially helping them stay within acceptable levels.

The topography of the surrounding area can also play a role. If the chimney sits in a valley or a depression, a greater height is necessary to ensure pollutants don't become trapped and concentrated within the local environment.

In some cases, the sheer height of a chimney might like this, be motivated by a desire to set a record or showcase engineering prowess. While not the primary factor for the Ekibastuz chimney, the pursuit of a world record might have influenced its design.

The chimney was constructed in 1987, a period when concerns about air pollution were not as widely acknowledged. The decision for such a significant height might reflect the era's lower environmental awareness and prioritise factors like cost-effectiveness over pollution dispersion.

It's important to note that while tall chimneys can reduce localised pollution, they don't eliminate it entirely. Additionally, their reliance on fossil fuels contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The true solution to air pollution lies in cleaner energy sources and efficient technologies.