LARGE DAMS ASLARGE DAMS ASA SOURCE OFA SOURCE OF

RENEWABLE ENERGYRENEWABLE ENERGY

Glen Singleton, Ph.D., Glen Singleton, Ph.D., P.Geo.,P.Geo.,

B.C. HydroB.C. Hydro

CanadaCanada

International Hydropower Association

Note: Wind has now expanded to approximately 1.5%

Total world hydropower: 2920 Total world hydropower: 2920 TWhTWhAfrica 85 TWh/yr

Asia 950 TWh/yr

North & Central America 670 TWh/yr

South America 600 TWh/yr

Europe 560 TWh/yr

Oceania 55 TWh/yr

WORLD 2920 TWh/yr

Remaining World hydropower Remaining World hydropower potential = 5660TWh potential = 5660TWh (economically feasible)(economically feasible)

Africa 1015 TWh/yr

Asia 3050 TWh/yr

North & Central America 330 TWh/yr

South America 1000 TWh/yr

Europe 230 TWh/yr

Oceania 35 TWh/yr

WORLD 5660 TWh/yr

HYDROPOWER IN CANADAHYDROPOWER IN CANADA

• > 12% of Global Hydropower> 12% of Global Hydropower

• 475 hydro plants.475 hydro plants.

• > 370 TWh from over 89 GW of > 370 TWh from over 89 GW of installed capacity.installed capacity.

• Accounts for ~ 97% clean renewable Accounts for ~ 97% clean renewable energy supply in Canada.energy supply in Canada.

• ~ 118 GW of technical potential ~ 118 GW of technical potential remain. remain.

(Government of Canada, 2009)

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity)

• Between 1950-1980, an average of 600 dams / year were built in China.

• Nearly one-half of the world’s large dams (22,000) are in China.

• 60% of all dams under construction worldwide are in China or India.

China: the world’s hydropower leader

US & International Water Institutions

EVR 5332–Integrated Solutions for Water in Environment & Development September 24, 2007

Country       (TWh/yr)   InstalledCapacity(GW)    

Percent ofall electricity

 China* 585 171 17

 Canada 370 89 61

 Brazil 364 69 86

 United States 251 80 6

 Russia 167 45 18

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity)

(Worldwatch Institute, 2007)

______________________________________________________________

*

• By the end 2006 China had 40,000 small hydro plants, which accounted for 40 GW.

• China has 86 GW of large hydro under construction and 40 GW proposed.

WORLD’S TOP HYDROPOWER COUNTRIES

Most hydro energy comes from Most hydro energy comes from large or major dams.large or major dams.• > 15 m high (or 10m with crest > 15 m high (or 10m with crest

>500m)>500m)

• > 1 million m> 1 million m33 storage capacity storage capacity

• > 2000 m> 2000 m33/sec spilling capacity/sec spilling capacity

• unusual design or foundation unusual design or foundation problemsproblems

Small to micro hydro (~70 GW Small to micro hydro (~70 GW of over 960 GW of installed of over 960 GW of installed capacity)capacity)• small hydro (50MW-1MW), mini small hydro (50MW-1MW), mini

(1MW-100kW) and micro (less than (1MW-100kW) and micro (less than 100kW)100kW)(International Water Power and Dam Construction, 2009)(International Water Power and Dam Construction, 2009)

Dam Drawbacks to the Dam Drawbacks to the EnvironmentEnvironment

• Ecosystem DestructionEcosystem Destruction

• Fish Blockage and Wildlife LossesFish Blockage and Wildlife Losses

• Large-Scale Flooding Due to Dam Large-Scale Flooding Due to Dam FailuresFailures

• Sedimentation and SalinitySedimentation and Salinity

• Herbicide and Other Toxic Herbicide and Other Toxic ContaminationContamination

• Evaporative LossesEvaporative Losses

• Nutrient Flow RetardationNutrient Flow Retardation

• Release of greenhouse gassesRelease of greenhouse gassesRReport of the eport of the WWorld orld CCommisommisssion on ion on DDams ( 2000)ams ( 2000)

Dam Drawbacks to Human Dam Drawbacks to Human CommunitiesCommunities

•Human DisplacementHuman Displacement

•Flooding of Cultural Sites Flooding of Cultural Sites

•Social disruptionSocial disruption

•Cost overrunsCost overruns

•Socio-economic centralizationSocio-economic centralization

RReport of the eport of the WWorld orld CCommisommisssion on ion on DDams (2000)ams (2000)

Flooding Land is not renewable

Hydropower AdvantagesHydropower Advantages

• Energy source is renewableEnergy source is renewable

• Can contribute to fresh water storageCan contribute to fresh water storage

• Improve grid stability and flexibilityImprove grid stability and flexibility

• Low pollution and can be low for GHGLow pollution and can be low for GHG

• Proven technologyProven technology

• AffordableAffordable

BC Hydro’s Coursier Dam –

Decommissioned in 2003

(Unit costs versus project size – whole sample 1967-1996, from ICOLD, Grand Inga for Africa)

)

(From: “Large Dams - Learning from the Past, Looking at the Future” IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK and the World Bank Group, Washington, D.C. July

1997)

Peop

le D

isp

laced

/

MW

Churchill Falls, Canada

Three Gorges, China

Image from: http://www.photo.net/photo/pcd2882/hoover-dam-aerial-91

http://image09.webshots.com/9/3/0/42/109830042fcnNCG_fs.jpg Barrage , Vadiello

Diamer Basha dam. Indus River. Afghanistan.

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/Hewitt_presentation.pdf

http://image03.webshots.com/3/6/81/12/97968112fZmUJC_fs.jpg

Kununurra Western Australia http://www.kimberleycroc.com.au/activities_and_attractions

China’s Three Gorges Dam• World’s largest dam project.• To be completed in 2009.• >1 mile wide.• ~20,000 MW of installed electricity generation capacity.

EVR 5332–Integrated Solutions for Water in Environment & Development

September 24, 2007

B.C. HYDRO SYSTEM

• 90% HYDROELECTRIC

• 30 INTEGRATED GENERATING STATIONS

• 54% SUPPLY FROM PEACE (2) AND COLUMBIA (2) RIVERS STATIONS

• 11,000 MW TOTAL INSTALLED CAPACITY

Common ConcernsCommon Concerns

Common ConcernsCommon Concerns

Major mitigation methodsMajor mitigation methods

• Mitigation and compensation Mitigation and compensation commitments during licensing.commitments during licensing.

• Permanent fish and wildlife Permanent fish and wildlife compensation programs.compensation programs.

• Comprehensive water use plans Comprehensive water use plans negotiated with government and negotiated with government and public.public.

• Ongoing operational controls and Ongoing operational controls and monitoring.monitoring.

Land Impacts per 1,000 GWh Production – Across Resource Options1.

Measure Units Biomass

Geotherm.

Large Hydro

Wind Small Hydro

Conserv.

Number of Projects

# 4.0 2.2 0.2 6.0 26.0 0.4

Impacted Area – Changed but not Lost

ha 0 7,370 0 6,470 0 0

Impacted Area – Lost to Footprint

ha 0 940 5,900

(920 for

run of river)

4,540 610 0

1. Extracted from BC Hydro 2005 IEP Consultation Process. Large Hydro example changed to reflect data from Mica Dam .

Measure Units

Biomass

Geotherm.

Large Hydro

Wind Small Hydro

Conserv.

Number of Projects

# 8.0 4.4 0.4 12 52 0.8

Unit Energy Costs

CAN$

per MWh

68 68 54 70 60 36

Permanent JobsFTE 180 40 10 80 20 100

Socio-Economic Factors per 2,000 GWh Production – Across Resource Options1.

1. Extracted from BC Hydro 2005 Provincial IEP Committee Consultation.

Emission intensity (tonnes GHG/GWh) for renewable generation technologies.

Type of Renewable

Data Source Emission Intensity Range

Emission Intensity Average

Large Hydro (Wuskwatim, Manitoba,

Canada)

Pembina Institute, 2003

n/a 3.8

Large Hydro(Tucurui, Brazil)

Bartle (1999) n/a 213

Wind World Energy Council, 2004

7 - 22 14

Geothermal Hondo (2005) n/a 15

Solar Photovoltaics

World Energy Council, 2004

43-55 48

conventional natural gas = 469 tonnes/GWh(Kulcinski, 2002, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

ConclusionsConclusions

• Large hydro is an important world wide Large hydro is an important world wide current and future source of low GHG current and future source of low GHG electricity.electricity.

• Large hydro comes with significant impacts Large hydro comes with significant impacts that must be managed.that must be managed.

• On a regional/provincial and per unit energy On a regional/provincial and per unit energy basis, large hydro can be competitive with basis, large hydro can be competitive with other renewables.other renewables.

• Careful planning and mitigation/compensation Careful planning and mitigation/compensation are required to support large hydro.are required to support large hydro.

SEA for Planning Large SEA for Planning Large HydroHydro• Provide wider regional planning context for Provide wider regional planning context for

impact assessment.impact assessment.

• Consider interdependencies of supply Consider interdependencies of supply options.options.

• Assess background sustainability of Assess background sustainability of biophysical and social resources.biophysical and social resources.

• Early identification of viable alternatives.Early identification of viable alternatives.

• Can consider transmission grid Can consider transmission grid developmentdevelopment