The Expansion of Hydropower in 2016

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The Expansion of Hydropower in 2016

The expansion of hydropower holds steady in 2016 due to the technology’s unique and powerful role in the transition to a cleaner planet.

Against the rapidly evolving landscape of renewable energy, hydropower remains the world’s primary source of clean energy — providing over 80 percent of renewable energy capacity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In addition to the clean, low maintenance, and flexible electricity hydro also boasts lengthy operation lifetimes. This, coupled with the ubiquity of hydro resources render it a highly competitive energy source that should continue to expand throughout the world in 2016.

A technologically mature industry, hydro has well-established markets in Europe and North America and prospects for global hydropower development are highly encouraging. The World Energy Council (WEC) observes an annual rate of 3 percent growth that’s sure to be maintained in the coming years. Investment is expected for hydropower of all scales; however, large-scale (>100 MW) is expected to provide the vast majority of new capacity. While pumped storage and small-scale hydropower will provide less than 10 percent of future capacity, facilities of these sorts will be most common.

hydropowerAccording to latest figures from the International Hydropower Association (IHA), the 1,036 GW of hydropower capacity generated over 16 percent of global electricity production in 2014.

Looking to the year ahead, IHA identified several trends driving hydropower build-out.

Prominent on the list is hydropower’s ability to function as a grid management asset: delivering base- and peak-load energy, frequency response and black-start capabilities. These solutions are recognized as critical to facilitate a successful transition to renewable energy.

Hydropower storage and grid balancing solutions have historically been utilized by the likes of Norway and Sweden, but Europe’s ever-expanding wind and solar markets are cause for new development. Of note, investment in pumped storage and variable speed technologies is growing. Going into 2016, some 8,600 MW of pumped storage capacity is planning or construction across Europe, with 2,500 MW planned for Swiss Alps by 2017, and 2,000 MW under construction in Portugal, said the IHA.

A second trend fostering steady investment, particular in Northern and Western Europe and North America, is modernization, uprating, and conversion of existing plants in efforts to secure more efficient and sustainable operations. Latvian State utility Latvenergo, for example, is presently engaged in a US $214.5 million upgrade program of its hydropower facilities.

A third driver motivating fresh momentum for hydropower stems from ancillary hydropower functions that can assist nations in adapting to climate change: providing freshwater for irrigation, drought management and flood protection solutions. The so-called water-energy nexus is high on the agenda of the UN, IEA and other international organizations that are providing strong foundations and resources for continued global development of hydropower capacity.

Read full article at Renewable Energies

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