Introduction
Electricity generated from water is known as Hydropower.
In 2021, Hydroelectricity accounted for approximately 6.3% of total utility-scale1 electricity generation in the United States, as well as 31.5% of total utility-scale renewable energy generation. The share of total U.S.
power generation accounted for by hydroelectricity has dropped over time, owing primarily to increases in electricity generation from other sources.
There are numerous ways to generate electricity from the energy of moving water.
Two sources of hydropower
1-Natural sources
Wave power harvests energy from waves on the ocean’s surface using a special buoy or other floating device.
Tidal power: tides surge in and out of coastal areas, capturing the energy of rushing waters with the aid of turbines.
2-Industrial sources
An impoundment facility is the most prevalent type of hydroelectric power plant.
A dam is used in an impoundment facility, which is often a large hydroelectric
system, to hold river water in a reservoir.
A Diversion, often known as a “run-of-river” facility, directs a section
of a river through a canal and/or a penstock to generate energy by utilising the natural drop in river bed height. A penstock is a closed tube that directs the flow of water to turbines via gates, valves, and turbines. A dam may not be required for a diversion
Another type of hydropower, known as “pumped storage hydropower” or PSH, functions similarly to a gigantic battery.
A PSH plant can store electricity generated by other power sources, such as solar, wind, and nuclear, for later consumption. These installations store energy by pumping water from a lower-elevation reservoir to a higher-elevation reservoir.
Hydroelectric power plant size
Hydropower facilities come in a variety of sizes, from large power plants that serve a large number of users to small, even “micro” plants run by private citizens for their own energy needs or to sell to utilities.
Large hydropower plants are defined as facilities with a capacity of more than 30 megawatts (MW).
Small hydropower plants are defined as installations generating between 100 kilowatts and 10 megawatts.
A micro-hydropower plant can produce up to 100 kilowatts.
A small or micro hydroelectric power system can power a single home, farm, ranch, or hamlet.
The biggest hydroelectric power plants in the world
1-China’s Three Gorges Dam: 22.5 GW
The 22.5GW The Three Gorges hydroelectric power facility in Yichang, Hubei province, China, is the world’s largest. It is a typical impoundment hydroelectric station that uses the Yangtze River’s water supply. The CNY203 billion ($29 billion) power project began in 1993 and was finished in 2012.
2- Itapa, Brazil, and Paraguay: 14GW
The 14 GW Itaipu hydropower facility is located on the Parana River, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Itaipu Binacional runs the facility.
The $19.6 billion facility was built between 1975 and 1982.
3-Xiluodu, China: 13.86 GW
The Xiluodu hydroelectric project, located on the Jinsha River in China’s central Sichuan Province, has a capacity of 13.86 GW. CTGC developed it, and it was officially launched in 2013 and connected to the grid in June 2014.
4- Guri, Venezuela: 10.2 GW
The Guri power project, also known as the Simón Bolvar hydropower power station, is located on the Caroni River in the Bolvar State of southeastern Venezuela. CVG Electrification del Caroni owns and runs the plant. The power project began in 1963 and was finished in 1986.
5- Belo Monte, Brazil: 9.39 GW
As of September 2019, the Belo Monte hydropower project, which is being built on the lower reaches of the Xingu River in Pará, Brazil, had 9.39 GW of generating capacity. When completed with its anticipated 11.2 GW capacity in 2020, it will be the world’s fourth-largest hydroelectric power station.
The $11.2 billion project began construction in March 2011, and operations began in April 2016 with the commissioning of the first turbine generator unit.
6- Tucurui, Brazil: 8.37 GW
The Tucuru Hydropower Complex, located on the lower Tocantins River in Tucuru, Pará, Brazil, was built in two phases and has been operational since 1984.
Work on the $5.5 billion Tucuru hydroelectric plant began in 1975. The first phase was finished in 1984.
7- Grand Coulee, Washington: 6.8 GW
The 6.8 GW Grand Coulee hydropower project on the Columbia River in Washington, US, was completed in three parts. It was founded in 1941 and is owned and maintained by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The plant’s yearly capacity exceeds 24 TW/h.
8- Xiangjiaba, China—6.4GW
The Xiangjiaba hydropower facility was CTGC’s third power plant development and operation. It is built on the mouth of the Jinsha River canyon, which is located in Yibin City, Sichuan, and Shuifu County, Yunnan, China.
9- Sayano-Shushenskaya, Russia: 6.4 GW
RusHydro operates the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant, which is located on the Yenisei River in Sayanogorsk, Khakassia, Russia. The power station was built between 1963 and 1978.
10- Longtan, China: 6.3 GW
The Longtan hydropower project, located on the Hongshui River in Tian’e County, Guangxi, China, is the sixth largest in Asia.
Hydropower role in wastewater treatment plants
Water and wastewater treatment processes consume a significant amount of energy, accounting for 30 to 80% of industrial operating costs. Water companies require a cost-effective and long-term solution for energy production.
Hydropower, which has been highlighted as a solution to a sustainable energy choice for the water sector, may be found right on the doorstep of wastewater treatment plants.
Advantages of hydropower plant
1-The most affordable energy source
Although the initial investment required to build a plant is significant and difficult, water power is without a doubt the cheapest source.
2- Hydropower plants are responsive and adaptable
The power plants are really quite adaptable when it comes to changing water supplies. The initial energy needed for production systems to function is quite low.
3-Tremendous energy potential of hydropower
Hydropower has tremendous energy potential because Huge amounts of gravitational potential energy are present in the enormous masses of water found at high altitudes.
4- Production may be adjusted to meet demand.
Hydropower, high-elevation reservoirs, like dams can be control to meet our increased demand of energy as result.
5- Smaller plants can use secondary water flows.
Smaller hydroelectric plants can also be constructed to take advantage of the current water flows and infrastructure.
6- For irrigation
Hydropower plants can also be quite helpful in areas with a scarcity of water. Because the water leaving the station is totally pure and potable, reservoirs can be used as water reserves during dry spells.
7- Hydropower plants benefit the environment.
Water accessible in reservoirs results in richer vegetation, which in turn draws more animals and increases the population in the surrounding area. Additionally, hydropower plants catch trees and branches, keeping the streams clear and making them easier to navigate.
8- Private consumers are increasingly able to access hydropower.
Around the beginning of this century, mini hydro plants, which are compact and made for home or hyperlocal use.
9- Very minimal indirect emissions.
Disadvantages of hydropower
1- Strictly Located Plants
Some of these locations are far from big cities where the energy may be used to its maximum potential.
2- Effects on fish
A running water source needs to be dammed in order to build a hydroelectric plant. This hinders fish from travelling to their spawning grounds, which has an impact on any animal that consumes those fish.
3- Increased start-up costs
Hydropower plants do necessitate the construction of a dam to stop the flow of water. As a result, they are more expensive than comparable sized fossil fuel facilities.
4- Emissions of Carbon and Methane
Vegetation near the reservoir’s bottom begins to degrade. When plants die, they emit significant amounts of carbon and methane.
5- Drought Susceptible
It is limited by the amount of water available in any given region. As a result, a drought could have a major impact on the performance of a hydropower plant.
6- Flood Hazard (Flood Warning)
Dams built at higher elevations offer a major risk to any local community that is below it. Even if these dams are quite powerful, there are still concerns. The Banqiao Dam failure is the largest dam disaster in history.
References
[4] Hydro Quebec. (September 1, 2015).
