Hydro Power is one of the largest sources of energy, accounting for roughly 20% of the worldwide demand of electricity and for well resourced countries it accounts for majority of the energy. Compared to other sources of Energy, Hydroelectric Power is one of the cheapest, non Carbon Emitting, non Polluting and Mature Energy Sources. Hydro […]
While Energy Storage using Lithium Batteries and other innovative concepts like Flywheels frequently make news, the largest sources of Energy Storage like Lead Acid batteries and Pumped Hydro Storage hardly get attention. This is despite Hydro Storage accounting for hundreds of giga watt hours of storage capacity around the world. There is 90 GW of […]
The different forms of Renewable Energy are Solar,Wind,Nuclear,Hydro,Tidal,Biomass and Geothermal Energy. Renewable energy sources are more environment- friendly with less pollution & global warming effects. There is an unlimited supply & hence the costs are also low. The Indian government has given the plan for Renewable Energy Generation targets over the 5 year period between […]
Hydro Electric Energy is second largest source of electricity in the world accounting for roughly 20% of the worldwide demand of electricity with around 800 GW of capacity installed.Hydroelectricity power plants are the biggest power stations in the world dwarfing the biggest nuclear and coal power projects.The world’s biggest power plant is the Three Gorge Dam in China which at 22.5 GW is more than 50% larger than the 2nd biggest power station in the world.s.China is the by far the world leader in hydro power plant capacity with around 200 GW which it aims to double to around 400 GW by 2020The advantages of hydroelectricity energy are substantial enough to far outweigh any disadvantages.But like nuclear energy,hydro power has some tail risks which can lead to catastrophic damage.
Note the cost of Hydropower at $1-3/watt are quite large and if not planned and implemented correctly can lead to huge time and cost escalation.The Inga 3 Dam being proposed to be built on the Congo River in the DRC faces tough choices.The Hydro Dam on the Congo which will become the biggest hydro power project in Africa is wresting over design issues.The major choice is between tunneling through rock structures or keeping open channels.Note the total cost of the 7 GW Power Plant will be around $14 billion making it the biggest investment in Congo and the 5th largest Hydro Power Plant in the world.Note Africa suffers from chronic power shortages which will become more acute with rising cots of fossil fuels and increasing per capita electricity demands.Making correct decisions on energy is vitally important for the development of the African continent.China is the country with the largest hydro power capacity at 200 GW which it wants to further increase to a massive 400 GW by 2020.
Phillipines is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels for its energy requirements as it lacks sufficient domestic resources of coal or oil.The country which already has a flourishing geothermal energy industry is looking to raise the alternative energy generation from other sources like biomass,hydro,solar and wind energy as well.The country’s Energy Regulator National Renewable Energy […]