SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES FOR HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT
ByAmit Gupta* & Rajat Jain**
*Dy. Chief Engineer & Project Manager,**Engineer WAPCOS Ltd.
Existing Scenario of Hydropower in India
• India is endowed with economically exploitable hydro-power potential of
1,48,700 MW out of which only 38,848 MW (26.12 %) stands
exploited.
• Including pumped storage project and hydro-potential from small, mini &
micro schemes total hydro-potential becomes 2,50,000 MW.
• Slow development, especially in last few decades.
• To meet country’s energy demand at faster pace, development of
accelerated hydropower projects are required, which warrants the need of
an Accelerated Hydropower Development.
• In order to meet the continuous power demand, sustainability of these
hydropower projects (which are under planning/execution/operation) is
equally important in view of long term benefits.
Powerhouse (18 x 715 MW ) Size: 986 m x 99 m x112 m
Urge For Sustainable Hydropower
• A Hydropower Project need to continue to operate till its designed period, generate electricity, as envisaged, with the minimal effects in the discharge (due to flood, drought etc.) and contribute in overall development of the nation uninterrupted.
ITAIPU Dam : 7.6 Km Long196 m high
Mega Hydro Electric Projects – Need of an hour
YES WE CAN
Planning of Hydropower Project • Studies being conducted for Planning of hydropower project:
• Ma
• Planning of Hydro Project i.e. Power potential is dependent on sustainability of water resources.
Run Off River (Without Pondage)
Run Off River (With Pondage)
Reservoir Scheme
Water Availability Studies Power Potential StudiesPlanning
Climate Change
Water Resources Vs Climate Change
Global Warming
Melting Ice Caps
Too Hot!!! Save me from Water
Its Rainy No, Its Dry
Save me through Water
• Change in Hydrological patterns due to Climate change, if any – to be established
• How? How much?? Why???...
Climate change“Climate change refers to a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer). Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcing, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.”
Source: MoEF, GoI/IPCC 2001
A SCHEMATIC VIEW : THE COMPONENTS OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE SYSTEM
Influence of Climate Change on Water Resources
• Due to Climate change, the higher temperatures and changes in extreme weather conditions are projected to affect availability and distribution of rainfall, snowmelt, river flows and groundwater, and further deteriorate water quality
Climate Change
Parameters
Global Mean Sea level
Global Avg. Air & Ocean
Temp
Precipitation & Rainfall
Melting of Snow & Ice
Storms/ Storm Surges
Coastal Flooding
Climate change parameters
Impact of variation of Water availability on Hydropower sustainability
• Variation (if any) in discharge pattern of river, due to climate change may have profound impact on hydropower potential.
• In future, if the glacial water flow would decline, the energy potential of hydroelectric projects would automatically decrease.
• This change in water regime has put question mark on energy security of the country.
• The rate of change of climate can be linked to Hydropower sustainability
Relation of Power and Climate
Problem : Correlation between Water availability and Climate change ?
Possible Solutions
Prevention Mitigation Adaption
Adaption• Recognition and ascertaining correlation of water
availability with climate change, if exists.
• Determination of reliability of water availability studies not only for the present scenario but also for the future projections as well i.e. for the entire anticipated design life of the project as a whole.
• The assessment of reliability factor associated with water availability is very tedious and vague, which is solely dependent on rate of climate change with time. Therefore, ascertaining variation in water availability though can be attempted qualitatively but its quantification is very complex
CONCLUSION
• Hydropower is a clean, eco-friendly and more reliable than others.
• Existing Scenario of Hydropower in India demands an urgent need of accelerated hydropower development.
• For meeting continuous power demand, the sustainability of hydropower projects (under planning/execution/operation) is equally important.
• Sustainability of hydropower depends upon availability of consistent water resources, which are contemplated to be affected by climate change, sooner or later.
• Establishment of correlation between variants of water availability with rate of climate change, to the possible extent .
Contd..
•Determination of long term water availability coherent with the parameters of climate change as a step towards rationalization of probabilistic studies, considering the impact of climate change on sustainable water resources .
• This, if feasible, would definitely minimize the uncertainties in assessment of hydropower potential, reduce the unforeseen impacts of climate change, resulting in combating measures, necessitated consequently, such as refurbishment of power plants, retrofitting of schemes etc. at a later stage, to the reasonable extent.
CONCLUSION