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Hydropower Concerns over Climate Change

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Context

  • Droughts — and sudden floods that can damage hydropower dams — made more frequent and severe by climate change are an “increasing concern” for hydropower.

About

  • Recent droughts in Colombia and Ecuador have severely hampered energy supplied by hydropower.
  • This has led Ecuador to declare a state of emergency and institute power cuts.
  • Hydropower accounts for over 80% of electricity generation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia — many of which are also struggling with severe droughts.

What is Hydropower?

  • Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, which uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity.
  • Hydropower currently generates more electricity than all other renewable technologies combined and is expected to remain the world’s largest source of renewable electricity generation into the 2030s.
  • Classification of Hydro Projects based on Installed Capacity:
    • Micro: up to 100 KW
    • Mini: 101KW to 2 MW
    • Small: 2 MW to 25 MW
    • Mega: Hydro projects with installed capacity >= 500 MW
  • India: In 2022-23, hydropower accounted for 12.5 percent of power generation in India. India had about 4745.6 MW pumped storage capacity in operation in 2023.
  • The hilly States of India mainly Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand constitute around half of this potential.
  • Other potential States are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Kerala.
Do you Know?

–       Three Gorges Dam in China on the Yangtze River is the largest hydropower station in the world.

–       In India, the oldest Hydropower power plant is in Darjeeling District in West Bengal. Its installed capacity is 130KW and was commissioned in the year 1897.

Significance of Hydro Power:

  • Renewable Energy Source: Hydropower is a renewable energy source because it relies on the water cycle, which is continuously replenished by rainfall and snowmelt. Page No.:- 37 Current Affairs –June, 2024
  • This makes it a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, which are finite and contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Clean Energy: Hydropower produces minimal greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels, making it an environmentally friendly option for generating electricity.
  • Reliable and Predictable: Unlike solar and wind energy, which are intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, hydropower provides a consistent and reliable source of electricity.
  • Flexible and Controllable: Hydropower plants can quickly adjust their output to match changes in electricity demand.
  • Multipurpose Use: Hydropower projects often serve multiple purposes beyond electricity generation.
  • They can provide flood control by regulating water flow, irrigation for agriculture, water supply for communities, and recreational opportunities such as boating and fishing.
  • Long Lifespan: Hydropower infrastructure, such as dams and turbines, can have long lifespans, often exceeding 50 years with proper maintenance. This longevity ensures a stable and enduring source of energy for a longer period.

 Challenges

  • Environmental Impact: Large-scale hydropower projects often require damming rivers, which alters ecosystems, disrupts fish habitats, and impacts local biodiversity.
  • It also leads to issues like sediment buildup and water temperature changes downstream, affecting aquatic life.
  • Social Impacts: Building dams and reservoirs displaces communities and disrupts livelihoods, especially those relying on the affected rivers for fishing or agriculture.
  • High Initial Costs: Constructing hydropower facilities involves significant upfront investment costs.
  • Climate Change Vulnerability: Hydropower generation relies on consistent water flow, which can be affected by climate change-induced variations in precipitation patterns and glacial melt.
  • A UK-based thinktank found that the drought — likely exacerbated by climate change — drove an 8.5% drop in hydroelectricity around the world over the last two decades.
  • Sedimentation: Dams trap sediment flowing downstream, leading to reservoirs gradually filling up with sediment over time.
  • This reduces the reservoir’s capacity and impacts the efficiency and lifespan of the hydropower facility.
  • Maintenance Challenges: Hydropower infrastructure requires regular maintenance to ensure safe and efficient operation.

Way Ahead

  • The solution for the countries is to diversify their power sources by incorporating other renewable technologies — such as wind and solar — into their energy mix.
  • Innovations around placing floating solar panels on the water’s surface in hydropower plants — as countries such as China and Brazil are exploring — have significant potential.
  • Building more medium-scale plants, rather than the mega dams of the past, would help mitigate the climate risks associated with over-dependence on one big piece of infrastructure.
  • Without major policy changes, global hydropower expansion is expected to slow down this decade.