Overview of the Hydropower Sector and Pathways towards Sustainability
Michael Fink and Helen Locher, IHA Brussels 12 February 2009
Status of Hydropower Globally
Solar; 0,18%
Wind; 1,76% Geothermal; 0,28%
Nuclear; 15,90%
Biomass; 1,10%
Power Generation by Type (17,530 GWh in 2005) Fossil Fuels; 65,10%
Hydropower, 16.48%
14.000,00 12.000,00 10.000,00
FOSSIL FUELS 8.000,00 THw
World Growth in Electricity Generation by Type (1980-2006)
6.000,00 4.000,00
HYDROPOWER
2.000,00
NUCLEAR GEOTHERMAL, SOLAR, WIND, BIOMASS
0,00
Source: IEA 2008
1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Hydropower Generation by Region World: 2,894 TWh in 2005
Europe: 539.6 TWh in 2005 Belgium Finland 2% 0%
Asia and Ocea nia 25%
North Americ a 23%
United Kingdo m 1%
France 9%
Rest of Europe 19%
Germany 4%
Italy 6% Turkey 7%
Africa 3%
Central and S outh America 21%
Eurasia 8%
Norway 25% Sweden 13%
Middle East 1% Europe 19%
Source: IEA 2008
Switzerland 6%
Spain 4%
Romania 4%
Netherlands 0%
Hydropower Potential by Region 75% 69%
22%
33%
7% ~70%
World’s realistic potential developed: ~ 1/3 Current hydro production: 2889 TWh/y Realistic potential production: ~ 8600 TWh/y
Source: World Atlas of Hydropower & Dams, 2002
Hydropower within the European Electricity Portfolio 2.000,00 1.800,00 1.600,00
FOSSIL FUELS
1.400,00
THw
1.200,00
NUCLEAR
1.000,00 800,00
HYDROPOWER
600,00 400,00 200,00
GEOTHERMAL, SOLAR, WIND, BIOMASS
0,00 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Source: IEA 2008
Percent Hydro Share of National Electricity Generation (2007) Norway Iceland Austria Switzerland Sweden Romania Portugal Finland Slovakia Italy France Spain Bulfaria Lithuania Greece Germany Republic of Ireland Czech Republic Belgium & Luxemburg United Kingdom Poland Hungary Netherlands Source: EdF
98.2 72.0 54.5 54.0 44.4 25.3 19.3 17.3 16.3 12.4 11.2 10.2 8.3 6.8 4.9 4.3 4.2 2.8 2.6 2.4 1.9 0.5 0.1
Why Invest in Hydropower? • Largest scale renewable energy source • Proven technology, long life span, low operating costs • High energy efficiency rate • Fosters energy and water security • Opportunities for development benefits and meeting development needs • Improves electricity grid stability and reliability • Can work in tandem with more intermittent renewables (wind , wave, tidal, solar) thus encouraging growth of these sources
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Climate Change Considerations • Increasingly compelling case for hydropower to displace fossil fuel development • Careful assessment required of water resource availability • Climate change is likely to alter river discharge, providing some regions with more water, and others with less • IPCC recently published a study1, which cites some country examples and perspectives: – By the 2070s the electricity production potential of hydropower plants will increase by 15-30% in Scandinavia and Northern Russia. – Decreases of 20-50% and more are found for Portugal, Spain and Portugal
• Multi-purpose systems provide an opportunity for drought protection and flood mitigation as well as water provision for irrigation and recreation. 1
Bates et al (2008) Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the IPCC.
Hydropower and the Sustainable Development Challenge
Offers benefits of poverty alleviation, greenhouse reduction, flexibility & reliability, multiple uses, water supply.
Potentially adverse impacts including population displacement and environmental change. High up front costs, long lead times for planning, permitting and construction.
The challenge is to ensure sustainably developed and managed projects
What are the Secrets to ‘Good Dams’ versus ‘Bad Dams’?
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Timeline of Initiatives 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 IEA Implementing Agreement for Hydropower
Phase 1
Phase 2
World Commission on Dams UNEP Dams and Development Project
Phase 1
Phase 2
IHA Sustainability Guidelines IHA Sustainability Assessment Protocol Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum Sustainable Hydropower Website IHA Blue Planet Prize Eugene Green Energy Standard (Europe-based) Low Impact Hydropower Institute (North America) CHOICE Project for green hydropower (Europe)
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum • The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum (HSAF) is a collaboration of representatives from different sectors who aim to develop a broadly endorsed sustainability assessment tool to measure and guide performance in the hydropower sector. • The Forum members are jointly reviewing and recommending enhancements to the IHA Sustainability Assessment Protocol (2006). • The Protocol was developed as a measuring tool to assess social, environmental and economic performance of hydropower projects and operating facilities against criteria described in the IHA Sustainability Guidelines (2004).
Forum Membership The members of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum comprise representatives of developed and developing countries, environmental and social NGOs, commercial and development banks and the hydropower sector, with membership guided by the common efforts of IHA, WWF and TNC. Developing Countries Dr Yu Xuezhong, Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, PR China Mr Zhou Shichun, China Hydropower Engineering Consulting Group Co., PR China Mr Israel Phiri, Manager PPI, Ministry of Energy and Water Development, Zambia Developed Countries Mr Geir Hermansen, Senior Advisor, Department of Energy, Norad, Norway Prof Gudni A Johannesson, Director General, National Energy Authority, Iceland Ms Kirsten Nyman, Policy Advisor for Sustainable Hydropower, GTZ, Germany (observer) Hydropower Sector Dr Refaat Abdel-Malek, President, International Hydropower Association Mr Andrew Scanlon, Coordinating Author, IHA Sustainability Assessment Protocol
NGOs - Environmental Aspects Mr David Harrison, Senior Advisor, Global Freshwater Team, The Nature Conservancy Dr Joerg Hartmann, Lead, Dams Initiative, World Wildlife Fund NGOs - Social Aspects Mr Michael Simon, Lead, Development Banks/NRM, Oxfam Dr Donal O’Leary, Water Sector Specialist, Transparency International Finance Sector - Economic Aspects Ms Courtney Lowrance, Environmental Specialist, Equator Principles Financial Institutions Group Ms Daryl Fields, Senior Water Resources Specialist, World Bank (observer) Forum Chair Mr André Abadie, Sustainable Finance Ltd.
For more information on the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum, see www.hydropower.org
Michael Fink and Helen Locher, IHA Brussels 12 February 2009