Hydroelectric Power Plant

Hydroelectric Power
Plant
Hydroelectric Power
• Hydro means "water". So, hydropower is
"water power" and hydroelectric power is
electricity generated using water power.
Potential energy (or the "stored" energy in a
reservoir) becomes kinetic (or moving
energy). This is changed to mechanical energy
in a power plant, which is then turned into
electrical energy. Hydroelectric power is a
renewable resource.
Hydroelectric Power
• The damming of streams and rivers has been an
integral part of human civilization from its early
history. Controversy paralleled this use because
impounding and diverting water for upstream
users affects those who live downstream, and
also modifies the local habitats of plants and
animals. Dams are built to control floods,
improve navigation, provide a drinking-water
supply, create or enhance recreational
opportunities, and provide water for irrigation
and other agricultural uses. A small percentage of
re used to generate power.
History of hydropower
• Humans have been harnessing water to perform work for
thousands of years. The Greeks used water wheels for grinding
wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. Besides grinding
flour, the power of the water was used to saw wood and power
textile mills and manufacturing plants.
For more than a century, the technology for using falling water to
create hydroelectricity has existed. The evolution of the modern
hydropower turbine began in the mid-1700s when a French
hydraulic and military engineer, Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote
Architecture Hydraulique. In this four volume work, he described
using a vertical-axis versus a horizontal-axis machine.
• During the 1700s and 1800s, water turbine development
continued. In 1880, a brush arc light dynamo driven by a
water turbine was used to provide theatre and storefront
lighting in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and in 1881, a brush
dynamo connected to a turbine in a flour mill provided
street lighting at Niagara Falls, New York. These two
projects used direct-current technology.
Alternating current is used today. That breakthrough came
when the electric generator was coupled to the turbine,
which resulted in the world's, and the United States', first
hydroelectric plant located in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882.
Today
• Hydroelectric power plants generally range in size from
several hundred kilowatts to several hundred
megawatts , but a few enormous plants have
capacities near 10,000 megawatts in order to supply
electricity to millions of people. According to the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, world
hydroelectric power plants have a combined capacity
of 675,000 megawatts that produces over 2.3 trillion
kilowatt-hours of electricity each year; supplying 24
percent of the world's electricity to more than 1 billion
customers.
Components Of The Plant And Their
Role In Its Working
• Hydroelectricity is one of the main forms of
energy in use today. Its use is being promoted in
many countries of the world as a renewable and
non-polluting source of energy. The industrialized
nations of the world have drawn flak in recent
times for releasing high concentrations of green
house gases into the atmosphere. The regulations
of the Kyoto Protocol are making things tougher.
Hence greater interest is being shown in making
use of non-polluting energy sources.
Role In Its Working
Functioning of a hydroelectric power plant
• Hydroelectricity is produced in a hydroelectric
power plant. In this plant, the water is
released from a high location. The potential
energy present in the water is converted into
kinetic energy, which is then used to rotate
the blades of a turbine. The turbine is hooked
to the generator which produces electricity.
Role In Its Working
• Here are the basic components of a
conventional hydropower plant:
The main components of
hydroelectric power plant
• a) The reservoir: Water from a natural water body
like a river is stored in the reservoir. This reservoir
is built at a level higher than the turbine.
• b) The dam: The flow of water stored in the
reservoir is obstructed by huge walls of the dam.
This prevents the water from flowing and helps us
harness the energy present in it. The dam consists
of gates present at its bottom, which can be lifted
to allow the flow of water through them.
• Most hydropower plants rely on a dam that holds back
water, creating a large reservoir.
• c) The penstock: This connects the reservoir with the
turbine propeller and runs in a downward inclined
manner. When the gates of the dam are lifted, the
force of gravity makes the water flow down the
penstock and reach the blades of the turbine. As the
water flows through the penstock, the potential
energy of water stored in the dam is converted into
kinetic energy.
• d) The turbine: The kinetic energy of the running water
turns the blades of the turbine. The turbine can be
either a Pelton Wheel Model or a Centrifugal type. The
turbine has a shaft connected to the generator.
• The most common type of turbine for
hydropower plants is the Francis Turbine, which
looks like a big disc with curved blades. A turbine
can weigh as much as 172 tons and turn at a rate
of 90 revolutions per minute (rpm), according to
the Foundation for Water & Energy Education
(FWEE).
• e) The generator: A shaft runs from the turbine
to the generator. When the blades of the turbine
rotate, the shaft turns a motor which produces
electric current in the generator.
• Giant magnets rotate past copper coils,
producing alternating current (AC) by moving
electrons. (You'll learn more about how the
generator works later.)
• f) Power lines: The power produced in the
generator is sent to various power distribution
stations through the power lines.
Out of every power plant come four wires: the three
phases of power being produced simultaneously plus
a neutral or ground common to all three.
 Intake - Gates on the dam open and gravity pulls the
water through the penstock, a pipeline that leads to
the turbine. Water builds up pressure as it flows
through this pipe.
 Transformer - The transformer inside the powerhouse
takes the AC and converts it to higher-voltage current.
 Outflow - Used water is carried through pipelines,
called tailraces, and re-enters the river downstream.
• After passing through the turbine, the water
flows through an outlet pipe called the tailrace
and is released into the river downstream of the
power plant.
The shaft that connects the turbine and generator

• The water in the reservoir is considered stored
energy. When the gates open, the water flowing
through the penstock becomes kinetic energy
because it's in motion. The amount of electricity
that is generated is determined by several
factors. Two of those factors are the volume of
water flow and the amount of hydraulic head.
The head refers to the distance between the
water surface and the turbines. As the head and
flow increase, so does the electricity generated.
The head is usually dependent upon the amount
of water in the reservoir.
• The Generator
The heart of the hydroelectric power plant is the generator.
Most hydropower plants have several of these generators.
• The generator, as you might have guessed,
generates the electricity. The basic process of
generating electricity in this manner is to rotate a
series of magnets inside coils of wire. This
process moves electrons, which produces
electrical current.
Each generator is made of certain basic parts:
Shaft Rotor
Excitor Stator
• As the turbine turns, the excitor sends an
electrical current to the rotor. The rotor is a
series of large electromagnets that spins
inside a tightly-wound coil of copper wire,
called the stator. The magnetic field between
the coil and the magnets creates an electric
current.
Types of Hydroelectric Power
Plants
Types of Hydroelectric Power Plants
• Micro-Scale
As their name implies, micro-hydroelectric
plants are the smallest type of hydroelectric
energy systems. They generate between one
kilowatt and one megawatt of power. The main
application for these hydro systems is in small,
isolated villages in developing countries. They are
ideal for powering smaller services such as the
operation of processing machines.
Small-Scale
Small hydropower systems can supply up to
20 megawatts of energy. These systems are
relatively inexpensive and reliable. They have the
potential to provide electricity to rural areas in
developing countries throughout the world. Small
systems are especially important to countries
that may not be able to afford the costs of
importing fossil fuels such as petroleum from
other countries.
Run-of-the-River
In some areas of the world, the flow rate and
elevation drops of the water are consistent enough
that hydroelectric plants can be built directly in the
river. The water passes through the plant without
greatly changing the flow rate of the river. In many
instances a dam is not required, and therefore the
hydroelectric plant causes minimal environmental
impact on its surroundings. However, one problem
with run-of-the-river plants is the obstruction of fish
and other aquatic animals.
• The generators are the key to getting electricity from falling
water (hydroelectric power). These are very large electric
motors containing magnets and wires, quite similar to any
small motor, such as in an electric train set. Beneath these
generators a metal shaft connected to a propeller is being
turned by falling water.
• As the propeller is turned by the water, the shaft turns,
which then turns the
components of the generator
to produce electric power.
Most electric power is
produced in a similar way --
generators don't really care
what is used to turn the shaft.
Types of hydropower plants
• Impoundment
The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is
an impoundment facility. An impoundment facility,
typically a large hydropower system, uses a dam to
store river water in a reservoir. Water released from
the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it,
which in turn activates a generator to produce
electricity. The water may be released either to meet
changing electricity needs or to maintain a constant
reservoir level.
• An impoundment hydropower plant dams water

in a reservoir
• Diversion
A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river, facility channels a

portion of a river through a canal or penstock. It may not
require the use of a dam.
• The Tazimina project in Alaska is an example of a diversion hydropower plant. No dam was required.
• Pumped storage
When the demand for electricity is low, a

pumped storage facility stores energy by
pumping water from a lower reservoir to an
upper reservoir. During periods of high
electrical demand, the water is released back
to the lower reservoir to generate electricity.
• Pumped storage: Reusing water for peak
electricity demand
• Demand for electricity is not "flat" and constant.
Demand goes up and down during the day, and
overnight there is less need for electricity in homes,
businesses, and other facilities. For example, here in
Atlanta, Georgia at 5:00 PM on a hot August weekend
day, you can bet there is a huge demand for electricity
to run millions of air conditioners! But, 12 hours later at
5:00 AM .... not so much. Hydroelectric plants are more
efficient at providing for peak power demands during
short periods than are fossil-fuel and nuclear power
plants, and one way of doing that is by using "pumped
storage", which reuses the same water more than once.
• Pumped storage is a method of keeping water
in reserve for peak period power demands by
pumping water that has already flowed
through the turbines back up a storage pool
above the powerplant at a time when
customer demand for energy is low, such as
during the middle of the night. The water is
then allowed to flow back through the
turbine-generators at times when demand is
high and a heavy load is placed on the system.
• The reservoir acts much like a battery, storing
power in the form of water when demands are
low and producing maximum power during daily
and seasonal peak periods. An advantage of
pumped storage is that hydroelectric generating
units are able to start up quickly and make rapid
adjustments in output. They operate efficiently
when used for one hour or several hours.
Because pumped storage reservoirs are relatively
small, construction costs are generally low
compared with conventional hydropower
facilities.
• There's another type of hydropower plant, called the
pumped-storage plant. In a conventional hydropower
plant, the water from the reservoir flows through the
plant, exits and is carried down stream. A pumped-
storage plant has two reservoirs:
Upper reservoir - Like a conventional hydropower plant,
a dam creates a reservoir. The water in this reservoir
flows through the hydropower plant to create
electricity.
Lower reservoir - Water exiting the hydropower plant
flows into a lower reservoir rather than re-entering the
river and flowing downstream.
• Using a reversible turbine, the plant can pump
water back to the upper reservoir. This is done
in off-peak hours. Essentially, the second
reservoir refills the upper reservoir. By
pumping water back to the upper reservoir,
the plant has more water to generate
electricity during periods of peak
consumption.
Sizes of hydroelectric power plants
• Facilities range in size from large power plants
that supply many consumers with electricity to
small and micro plants that individuals operate
for their own energy needs or to sell power to
utilities.
Large hydropower
Although definitions vary, the U.S. Department of
Energy defines large hydropower as facilities that
have a capacity of more than 30 megawatts.
Sizes of hydroelectric power plants
• Small hydropower
Although definitions vary, DOE defines small
hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of 100
kilowatts to 30 megawatts.
Micro hydropower
A micro hydropower plant has a capacity of up to 100
kilowatts. A small or micro hydroelectric power system
can produce enough electricity for a home, farm,
ranch, or village.
Environmental Impact and Drawbacks
• Large hydroelectric dams have a number of
negative impacts on the local environment and
human society. Dams disrupt river ecosystems and
migrations, killing aquatic life that gets caught in
turbine blades. Dams also create artificial
reservoirs, which floods farmland and forests, and
displaces wildlife and people. Hydroelectric
projects are also susceptible to fluctuations in
river flows and rainfall. Ghana, which depends on
energy from the Volta River Dam, has suffered
severe energy shortages in recent years because
of lack of rainfall.
Environmental Impact and Drawbacks
• Large dams and reservoirs in tropical regions
are important sources of greenhouse gases.
According to Brazil's National Institute for
Space Research (INPE), each year the world's
dams give off over 100 million metric tons of
methane. INPE scientists are developing ways
to produce energy by burning this methane.
Water
• Water is the only substance that occurs naturally as a solid
(ice), a liquid and a gas (water vapor). It covers about 70
percent of the Earth for a total of approximately 332.5
million cubic miles (1,386 million cubic kilometers). If
you're familiar with the lines "Water, water, everywhere,
nor any drop to drink" from the poem "The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner," you'll understand that most of this
water -- 97 percent of it -- is undrinkable because it's
saltwater. Only 3 percent of the world's water supply is
freshwater, and 77 percent of that is frozen. Of the 23
percent that is not frozen, only a half a percent is available
to supply every plant, animal and person on Earth with all
the water they need to survive.
Water
• Water, usually stored in dams, is led down through
large pipes or tunnels to lower levels, and in the course
of the fall, the water rotates turbines. The mechanical
energy produced is converted to electricity by the
generators connected to it. The structure that houses
the turbines and generators is called the powerhouse.
Transformers change the alternating current produced

by the generators into current of very high voltage for
easy transmission through long distances.
Water
• Hydropower is one of the three principal sources of
energy used to generate electricity, the other two
being fossil fuels and nuclear fuels. Hydroelectricity
has certain advantages over these other sources: it is
continually renewable thanks to the recurring nature
of the water cycle, and causes no pollution. Also, it is
one of the cheapest sources of electrical energy.
Layout of Hydroelectric Power
Plant
Hydroelectric power plants convert the
hydraulic potential energy from water into
electrical energy. Such plants are suitable
were water with suitable head are available.
The layout covered in this article is just a
simple one and only cover the important parts
of hydroelectric plant. The different parts
of a hydroelectric power plant are
Parts of a hydroelectric power plant
• Dam
Dams are structures built over rivers to stop the water
flow and form a reservoir.The reservoir stores the
water flowing down the river. This water is diverted to
turbines in power stations. The dams collect water
during the rainy season and stores it, thus allowing for
a steady flow through the turbines throughout the
year. Dams are also used for controlling floods and
irrigation. The dams should be water-tight and should
be able to withstand the pressure exerted by the water
on it. There are different types of dams such as arch
dams, gravity dams and buttress dams. The height of
water in the dam is called head race.
Spillway
A spillway as the name suggests could be called
as a way for spilling of water from dams. It is
used to provide for the release of flood water
from a dam. It is used to prevent over toping of
the dams which could result in damage or failure
of dams. Spillways could be controlled type or
uncontrolled type. The uncontrolled types start
releasing water upon water rising above a
particular level. But in case of the controlled
type, regulation of flow is possible.
• Penstock and Tunnel
Penstocks are pipes which carry water from the
reservoir to the turbines inside power station.
They are usually made of steel and are equipped
with gate systems. Water under high pressure
flows through the penstock. A tunnel serves the
same purpose as a penstock. It is used when an
obstruction is present between the dam and
power station such as a mountain.
• Surge Tank
Surge tanks are tanks connected to the water
conductor system. It serves the purpose of
reducing water hammering in pipes which can
cause damage to pipes. The sudden surges of
water in the penstock is taken by the surge tank,
and when the water requirements increase, it
supplies the collected water thereby regulating
water flow and pressure inside the penstock.
• Power Station
Power station contains a turbine coupled to a
generator. The water brought to the power
station rotates the vanes of the turbine
producing torque and rotation of turbine shaft.
This rotational torque is transfered to the
generator and is converted into electricity. The
used water is released through the tail race. The
difference between head race and tail race is
called gross head and by subtracting the frictional
losses we get the net head available to the
turbine for generation of electricity.
Hydro Power Plant Working
• Pelton Wheel The pelton wheel turbine is a
tangential flow impulse turbine,
water flows along the tangent to the
path of the runner. Nozzles direct
forceful streams of water against a
series of spoon-shaped buckets
mounted around the edge of a
wheel. Each bucket reverses the flow
of water, leaving it with diminished
energy. The resulting impulse spins
the turbine. The buckets are
mounted in pairs, to keep the forces
on the wheel balanced, as well as to
ensure smooth, efficient momentum
transfer of the fluid jet to the wheel.
The Pelton wheel is most efficient in
high head applications.
• Applications
Peltons are the turbine of choice for high head,
low flow sites. However, Pelton wheels are made in all
sizes. There are multi-ton Pelton wheels mounted on
vertical oil pad bearings in the generator houses of
hydroelectric plants. The largest units can be up to 200
megawatts. The smallest Pelton wheels, only a few
inches across, are used with household plumbing
fixtures to tap power from mountain streams with a
few gallons per minute of flow, but these small units
must have thirty meters or more of head. Depending
on water flow and design, Pelton wheels can operate
with heads as small as 15 meters and as high as 1,800
meters.
• Kaplan Turbine
The Kaplan turbine is an inward flow reaction turbine, which
means that the working fluid changes pressure as it moves
through the turbine and gives up its energy. The design
combines radial and axial features.
• Applications
Kaplan turbines are widely used throughout the world for
electrical power production. They cover the lowest head
hydro sites and are especially suited for high flow
conditions.
Inexpensive micro turbines are manufactured for individual
power production with as little as two feet of head.
Large Kaplan turbines are individually designed for each
site to operate at the highest possible efficiency, typically
over 90%. They are very expensive to design, manufacture
and install, but operate for decades.
Water Turbine
• Water turbine is a device that convert the
energy in a stream of fluid into mechanical
energy by passing the stream through a
system of fixed and moving fan like blades and
causing the latter to rotate. A turbine looks
like a large wheel with many small radiating
blades around its rim.
Classification of Water turbines
• According to the type of flow of water : The water
turbines used as prime movers in hydro electric
power stations are of four types. They are
1. axial flow : having flow along shaft axis
2. inward radial flow : having flow along the radius
3. tangential or peripheral : having flow along tangential
direction
4. mixed flow : having radial inlet axial outlet
If the runner blades of axial flow turbines are fixed,

those are called propeller turbines.
• According to the action of water on moving blades water
turbines are of 2 types namely impulse ad reaction type
turbines.
Impulse Turbines : These turbines change the direction of
flow of a high velocity fluid jet. The resulting impulse spins
the turbine and leaves the fluid flow with diminished
kinetic energy. There is no pressure change of the fluid in
the turbine rotor blades. Before reaching the turbine the
fluid's Pressure head is changed to velocity head by
accelerating the fluid with a nozzle. Pelton wheels and de
Laval turbines use this process exclusively. Impulse
turbines do not require a pressure casement around the
runner since the fluid jet is prepared by a nozzle prior to
reaching turbine. Newton's second law describes the
transfer of energy for impulse turbines.
• Reaction Turbines : These turbines develop torque by
reacting to the fluid's pressure or weight. The pressure
of the fluid changes as it passes through the turbine
rotor blades. A pressure casement is needed to contain
the working fluid as it acts on the turbine stage(s) or the
turbine must be fully immersed in the fluid flow (wind
turbines). The casing contains and directs the working
fluid and, for water turbines, maintains the suction
imparted by the draft tube. Francis turbines and most
steam turbines use this concept. For compressible
working fluids, multiple turbine stages may be used to
harness the expanding gas efficiently. Newton's third
law describes the transfer of energy for reaction
turbines.
• According to the Head and quantity of water
available the water turbines are of 2 types.
Those are high head - low flow and low to
medium head and high to medium discharge
turbines.
• According to the name of the originator water
turbines are of 3 types namely
– Pelton Wheel,
– Francis tubine and
– Kaplan turbine.
Classification of Hydro Electric Plants
• The classification of hydro electric plants
based upon :
(a) Quantity of water available
(b) Available head
(c) Nature of load
• The classification according to quantity of water
available
(i) Run-off river plants with out pondage :
These plants does not store water; the plant uses
water as it comes.The plant can use water as and when
available.Since these plants depend for their generting
capacity primarly on the rate of flow of water, during
rainy season high flow rate may mean some quantity
of water to go as waste while during low run-off
periods, due to low flow rates,the generating capacity
will be low.
• (ii) Run-off river plants with pondage :
In these plants pondage permits storage of water
during off peak periods and use of this water during peak
periods.Depending on the size of pondage provided it may
be possible to cope with hour to hour fluctuations.This type
of plant can be used on parts of the load curve as
required,and is more useful than a plant with out storage
or pondage.
When providing pondage tail race conditions should be
such that floods do not raise tail-race water level,thus
reducing the head on the plant and impairing its
effectiveness.This type of plant is comparitively more
reliable and its generating capacity is less dependent on
avilable rate of flow of water.
(iii) Reservoir Plants :
A reservoir plant is that which has a reservoir of such
size as to permit carrying over storage from wet
season to the next dry season.Water is stored behind
the dam and is available to the plant with control as
required.Such a plant has better capacity and can be
used efficiently through out the year.Its firm capacity
can be increased and can be used either as a base load
plant or as a peak load plant as required.It can also be
used on any portion of the load curve as
required.Majority of the hydroelectric plants are of
this type.
• The classification according to availability of water head is
(i) Low-Head (less than 30 meters) Hydro electric plants :

"Low head" hydro-electric plants are power plants which
generally utilize heads of only a few meters or less. Power
plants of this type may utilize a low dam or weir to channel
water, or no dam and simply use the "run of the river". Run
of the river generating stations cannot store water, thus their
electric output varies with seasonal flows of water in a river.
A large volume of water must pass through a low head hydro
plant's turbines in order to produce a useful amount of
power. Hydro-electric facilities with a capacity of less than
about 25 MW (1 MW = 1,000,000 Watts) are generally
referred to as "small hydro", although hydro-electric
technology is basically the same regardless of generating
capacity.
• (ii) Medium-head(30 meters - 300 meters) hydro electric
plants :
These plants consist of a large dam in a mountainous area
which creates a huge reservoir. The Grand Coulee Dam on the
Columbia River in Washington (108 meters high, 1270 meters
wide, 9450 MW) and the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in
Arizona/Nevada (220 meters high, 380 meters wide, 2000
MW) are good examples. These dams are true engineering
marvels. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers as
designated Hoover Dam as one of the seven civil engineering
wonders of the modern world, but the massive lakes created
by these dams are a graphic example of our ability to
manipulate the environment - for better or worse. Dams are
also used for flood control, irrigation, recreation, and often
are the main source of potable water for many communities.
Hydroelectric development is also possible in areas such as
Niagra Falls where natural elevation changes can be used.
• (iii) High-head hydro electric plants :
"High head" power plants are the most common and
generally utilize a dam to store water at an increased
elevation. The use of a dam to impound water also
provides the capability of storing water during rainy
periods and releasing it during dry periods. This results
in the consistent and reliable production of electricity,
able to meet demand. Heads for this type of power
plant may be greater than 1000 m. Most large hydro-
electric facilities are of the high head variety. High head
plants with storage are very valuable to electric utilities
because they can be quickly adjusted to meet the
electrical demand on a distribution system.
• The classification according to nature of load is
(i) Base load plants :
A base load power plant is one that provides a steady
flow of power regardless of total power demand by the
grid. These plants run at all times through the year except
in the case of repairs or scheduled maintenance.
Power plants are designated base load based on their low
cost generation, efficiency and safety at set outputs.
Baseload power plants do not change production to match
power consumption demands since it is always cheaper to
run them rather than running high cost combined cycle
plants or combustion turbines. Typically these plants are
large enough to provide a majority of the power used by a
grid, making them slow to fire up and cool down. Thus,
they are more effective when used continuously to cover
the power baseload required by the grid.
• Each base load power plant on a grid is allotted a specific
amount of the baseload power demand to handle. The base
load power is determined by the load duration curve of the
system. For a typical power system, rule of thumb states that
the base load power is usually 35-40% of the maximum load
during the year.Load factor of such plants is high.
Fluctuations, peaks or spikes in customer power demand are
handled by smaller and more responsive types of power
plants.
(ii) Peak load plants :Power plants for electricity generation
which, due to their operational and economic properties, are
used to cover the peak load. Gas turbines and storage and
pumped storage power plants are used as peak load power
plants.The efficiency of such plants is around 60 -70%.very
expensive to build.However, many dams are also used for
flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared.
Advantages of Hydroelectric Power
Production and Usage
• 1. Hydroelectricity is a renewable energy
source.
Hydroelectricity uses the energy of running
water, without reducing its quantity, to
produce electricity. Therefore, all hydroelectric
developments, of small or large size, whether
run of the river or of accumulated storage, fit
the concept of renewable energy.
• 2. Hydroelectricity makes it feasible to utilize
other renewable sources.
Hydroelectric power plants with
accumulation reservoirs offer incomparable
operational flexibility, since they can immediately
respond to fluctuations in the demand for
electricity. The flexibility and storage capacity of
hydroelectric power plants make them more
efficient and economical in supporting the use of
intermittent sources of renewable energy, such
as solar energy or Aeolian energy.
• 3. Hydroelectricity promotes guaranteed
energy and price stability.
River water is a domestic resource which,
contrary to fuel or natural gas, is not subject
to market fluctuations. In addition to this, it is
the only large renewable source of electricity
and its cost-benefit ratio, efficiency, flexibility
and reliability assist in optimizing the use of
thermal power plants.
• 4. Hydroelectricity contributes to the storage
of drinking water.
Hydroelectric power plant reservoirs
collect rainwater, which can then be used for
consumption or for irrigation. In storing water,
they protect the water tables against
depletion and reduce our vulnerability to
floods and droughts.
• 5. Hydroelectricity increases the stability and reliability of
electricity systems.
The operation of electricity systems depends on rapid
and flexible generation sources to meet peak demands,
maintain the system voltage levels, and quickly re-
establish supply after a blackout. Energy generated by
hydroelectric installations can be injected into the
electricity system faster than that of any other energy
source. The capacity of hydroelectric systems to reach
maximum production from zero in a rapid and foreseeable
manner makes them exceptionally appropriate for
addressing alterations in the consumption and providing
ancillary services to the electricity system, thus
maintaining the balance between the electricity supply and
demand.
• 6. Hydroelectricity helps fight climate changes.
The hydroelectric life cycle produces very
small amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG). In
emitting less GHG than power plants driven by
gas, coal or oil, hydroelectricity can help retard
global warming. Although only 33% of the
available hydroelectric potential has been
developed, today hydroelectricity prevents the
emission of GHG corresponding to the burning of
4.4 million barrels of petroleum per day
worldwide.
• 7. Hydroelectricity improves the air we
breathe.
Hydroelectric power plants don't release
pollutants into the air. They very frequently
substitute the generation from fossil fuels,
thus reducing acid rain and smog. In addition
to this, hydroelectric developments don't
generate toxic by-products.
• 8. Hydroelectricity offers a significant contribution to
development.
Hydroelectric installations bring electricity,
highways, industry and commerce to communities,
thus developing the economy, expanding access to
health and education, and improving the quality of life.
Hydroelectricity is a technology that has been known
and proven for more than a century. Its impacts are
well understood and manageable through measures
for mitigating and compensating the damages. It offers
a vast potential and is available where development is
most necessary.
• 9. Hydroelectricity means clean and cheap
energy for today and for tomorrow.
With an average lifetime of 50 to 100
years, hydroelectric developments are long-
term investments that can benefit various
generations. They can be easily upgraded to
incorporate more recent technologies and
have very low operating and maintenance
costs.
• 10. Hydroelectricity is a fundamental instrument
for sustainable development.
Hydroelectric enterprises that are developed
and operated in a manner that is economically
viable, environmentally sensible and socially
responsible represent the best concept of
sustainable development. That means,
"development that today addresses people's
needs without compromising the capacity of
future generations for addressing their own
needs" (World Commission on the Environment
and Development, 1987).
Hydropower and the Environment
• Hydropower is nonpolluting, but does have
environmental impacts
• Hydropower does not pollute the water or the
air. However, hydropower facilities can have
large environmental impacts by changing the
environment and affecting land use, homes,
and natural habitats in the dam area.
• Most hydroelectric power plants have a dam and a
reservoir. These structures may obstruct fish migration
and affect their populations. Operating a hydroelectric
power plant may also change the water temperature
and the river's flow. These changes may harm native
plants and animals in the river and on land. Reservoirs
may cover people's homes, important natural areas,
agricultural land, and archeological sites. So building
dams can require relocating people. Methane, a strong
greenhouse gas, may also form in some reservoirs and
be emitted to the atmosphere.
• So why don't we use it to produce all of our
power? Mainly because you need lots of water
and a lot of land where you can build a dam and
reservoir, which all takes a LOT of money, time,
and construction. In fact, most of the good spots
to locate hydro plants have already been taken.
In the early part of the century hydroelectric
plants supplied a bit less than one-half of the
nation's power, but the number is down to about
10 percent today. The trend for the future will
probably be to build small-scale hydro plants that
can generate electricity for a single community.
Impacts and Trends
• Hydroelectric power is a clean source of
renewable energy where an adequate water
source is readily available. Hydropower plants
provide inexpensive electricity without
environmental pollution such as air emissions
or waste byproducts. And, unlike other energy
sources such as fossil fuels , water is not
consumed during electrical production, but
can be reused for other purposes.
Impacts and Trends
• However, hydropower plants that rely on
impoundments can negatively affect the
reservoir site and the surrounding area. New
reservoirs will permanently flood valleys that
may have contained towns, scenic locations, and
farmland. The permanent inundation also
destroys fish and wildlife habitat that once
existed at the reservoir site; however, new and
different habitat is created. Hydropower
operations that use run-of-the-river dams can
block the passage of migrating fish, such as
salmon.
END OF REPORT

Hydroelectric Power Plant

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Hydroelectric Power Plant

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Hydroelectric Power

The shaft that connects the turbine and generator

• An impoundment hydropower plant dams water

A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river, facility channels a

When the demand for electricity is low, a

Transformers change the alternating current produced

If the runner blades of axial flow turbines are fixed,

(i) Low-Head (less than 30 meters) Hydro electric plants :

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