HYDROPOWER GENERATION - ENVIRONMENT
News: Climate
change will increase hydropower generation in India
What's in the news?
● Unlike
coal-powered power plants, hydropower, which is the second highest power producing source at 13%, is a significant contributor
to clean global electricity generation.
Key takeaways:
● Based
on observations and climate projections, a two-member team from IIT Gandhinagar
studied the hydroclimatic changes in the catchment areas and their implications
for hydropower generation in 46 major dams located in north, central and south
India.
● The
team looked at the increase in rainfall in the catchment areas and the
resultant inflow into all the 46 major reservoirs in the near (2021–2040), mid
(2041–2060), and far (2081–2100) periods against the reference period
(1995–2014).
Hydropower:
● Hydropower
is a renewable source of energy that generates power by using a dam or
diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of
water.
● Hydropower
is often considered green energy
because it generates electricity from the natural flow of water without
releasing any emissions or pollutants and does not rely on fossil fuels.
Potential of Hydropower in India:
● India
is 4th globally for installed
hydroelectric power capacity.
● India
is endowed with a large hydropower potential of 1,45,320 MW of which only about
45,400 MW has been utilized so far.
● The
Himalayas are a major water source
for much of South Asia. Most countries
in the region, including India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan, have built
or are planning to build hydropower projects in the Himalayas.
● Arunachal
Pradesh has the largest unexploited hydropower potential of 47 GW, followed by
Uttarakhand with 12 GW.
● In
India, the Government has identified hydropower as a key renewable energy source. Based on selected hydroelectric dams,
the projected increase in hydropower potential in India is 10-23%.
Advantages of hydropower:
● Hydropower
is a renewable source of energy
because it uses and does not consume the water for generation of electricity,
and the hydropower leaves this vital resource available for other uses.
● It
is a renewable source of energy with no consumables involved; there is very little recurring cost and hence no high
long term expenditure.
● It
is cheaper as compared to
electricity generated from coal and gas fired plants. It also reduces the
financial losses due to frequency fluctuations and it is more reliable as it is
inflation free due to no usage of fossil fuel.
● Hydropower
stations are a preferred solution for meeting
peak loads in grids due to its unique capabilities of quick starting and
closing.
● The
operational needs of hydro & thermal
stations are complimentary and the balanced mix helps in optimal
utilization of the capacity.
Concerns:
● The
building and maintenance of large
hydroelectric dams can also have a significant environmental impact.
● The
construction of dams can disrupt the
flow of rivers, leading to changes in water temperature and chemistry.
● It
can also cause erosion, landslides, and
sedimentation which can have a negative impact on the local environment.
● Dams
also disrupt the migration patterns of
fish and other aquatic species and impact the local wildlife, particularly
if the dam’s construction leads to habitat loss.
● Large-scale
hydroelectric dams displace local
communities, affecting their livelihoods and cultural heritage and
impacting the overall well-being of the local population.
● Climate change has driven
erratic weather patterns like increased snowfall
and rainfall. These changing phenomena made infrastructure projects in the
Himalayan regions risky.
● The
major commercial constraints for the
private developers are high capital cost and long payback period due to
high gestation period which may also create issues in financing.
WAY FORWARD:
● Micro hydro is a
small-scale hydroelectric power generation system
that typically generates up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity. They are
typically less expensive to build and maintain than large hydroelectric dams
and have a smaller environmental footprint.
● Reservoir operations
should be strengthened through reliable weather
and inflow forecasts to maintain storage that can accommodate high inflow due
to extreme rainfall.
● India
may have to change reservoir rule curves
on how much storage should be permitted at different times during the monsoon
season to prevent flood-like situations from the sudden release of water from
reservoirs.
● A
detailed assessment should be
carried out to evaluate the potential impact before proceeding with the
project.