Small hydro | Taking pivotal steps Small hydro is playing a starring role across Egypt, India, Mexico, Nigeria and the UK
Above: Aerial view of the Godavari River in India
THE GODAVARI RIVER BASIN (GRB) is India’s largest peninsular river basin, covering approximately 9.5% of the country’s geographical area, equivalent to 312,812km2
. Characterised by a tropical climate,
it largely depends on summer monsoon rainfall which contributes to approximately 85% of its annual precipitation, and as it predominantly consists of clay and sandy loam clay soils, it also has low infiltration rates and high runoff. There are more than 15 major pieces of water infrastructure such as dams and reservoirs that have been specifically designed to support irrigation, water supply, and hydropower generation along the GRB. These have a combined storage capacity exceeding 21 billion m3
with an installed hydropower capacity
exceeding 2.7 GW, and a total irrigated area of around 6000km2. However, with future climate projections indicating an increase in the frequency of droughts from 2053 to 2099, with the impacts of climate change and El Nino expected to exacerbate the seasonality and significantly reduce water availability in the basin, there are growing concerns regarding the vulnerability of hydropower generation and energy security during such periods. To mitigate the vulnerability of hydropower generation induced by El Nino events and enhance preparedness, a new report published in the Journal of Hydrology says it is imperative to construct new run-of-river small hydro plants and storage hydro projects as part of an adaptation strategy to increase basin resilience. The study, called “Mitigating El Nino impacts on
hydro energy vulnerability through identifying resilient run-of-river small hydropower sites” by Thakur et al, addresses the potential for small hydropower
26 | June 2024 |
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generation in the Godavari River Basin, assess the specific impacts of El Nino on such proposed run-of- river developments here, and tries to determine if these can maintain firm power even during El Nino years. The analysis identified 226 potential sites within the GRB based on the head along the river, with a combined power and annual energy generation estimate of 92MW and 0.4 TWh/yr, respectively, at 90% flow dependability. The authors say that after meticulous screening, 11 potential sites based on the head and the power potential demonstrated a decline of 46.03%, 37.97%, and 17.77% in annual energy at 30%, 75%, and 90% flow dependability, respectively, leaving nine sites maintaining the firm power (90% flow dependability) even during El Nino years. “Our findings underscore the increased risk of power shortages during El Nino years and emphasise the need to develop appropriate strategies to cope with the risks associated with El Nino events,” the authors commented. “Although our integrated approach has significantly enhanced the credibility and accuracy of our findings, furnishing decision-makers and stakeholders with valuable insights for energy planning and policy development in the GRB region, further investigations into their environmental, social and economic feasibility are crucial to ensure responsible implementation,” Thakur et al continued. “While the proposed modelling framework is demonstrated here for the GRB in India, it exhibits strong potential for extension to other basins. This scalability could effectively address the growing energy demand from renewable sources like SHP in the context of mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
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