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