The ever increasing price of petrol, and the growing visible problems related to global warming as a result of green house effects due to the use of, among others, high carbon emitting non-renewable energy sources such as oil, gas and coal as well as the potential depletion of these non-renewable energy resources give a good reason to rethink about the use of other alternatives of energy. Renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar are the main alternative energy sources which have so far been under developed.

Follow up:

Compared to the other renewable energy sources, hydropower has demonstrated as a proven technology with a high level of reliability, high efficiency and low initial as well as operating and maintenance costs. In addition, hydropower does not produce waste products that contribute to air quality problems, acid rain, and greenhouse gases. It is a renewable resource that reduces the use of other fuels (oil, gas, and coal).

However, the initial investment costs required for system facilities installation are still the main obstacles for its underdevelopment, especially for large-scale hydropower facilities, despite the technical feasibilities and development potentials in many parts of the world. The adverse environmental impacts such as displacement of settlements downstream of dams, change of aquatic environments, etc, are the other obstacles encountered by large-scale hydropower facilities mainly from environmental activists backed by ample technical, scientific as well as case study reports.

On the other hand, small-scale hydropower has been considered as environmental friendly option to produce energy at reasonably lower investment cost. Because small-scale hydropower facilities do not require huge capital investments and cause no adverse environmental problems as the larger facilities do. Moreover, small-scale hydropower helps to cover or compliments the energy requirements of isolated areas, especially in rural areas of low income countries. I such areas, in addition to covering domestic energy requirements, small hydropower can potentially encourage and open favourable opportunities for local agro-industrial developments.

Allelign Zeru, Ph.D.
Authoring SIMAHPP to assess the feasibility of small-scale hydropower projects

22 January, 2008
Hydroxpert Press Vol. 3-21