A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Global hydropower expansion without building new dams
Reducing global carbon emissions will require large-scale transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. Hydropower will likely play a role in those transitions as it provides reliable energy storage while counter-balancing intermittent renewables. However, the construction of new dams comes at significant environmental costs to river ecosystems. An optimal future considers how to maximize the benefits of hydropower while minimizing environmental impact through revitalizing existing infrastructures. Herein, we quantify this potential using a spatially comprehensive global inventory of geolocated dams used for purposes other than hydropower, and augment these results with modelled estimates of small, unmapped dams. Furthermore, we examine increases in hydropower potential from efficiency upgrades at existing hydro-plants. These opportunities afford non-invasive increases in hydropower in populated areas neighbouring biodiversity hot spots. Overall, we estimate that these contributions could potentially provide up to a 9% increase to current global hydropower, potentially reducing the costs of construction and transmission, all while offsetting impacts to biodiversity and river ecosystems incurred by planned new hydropower construction.
Global hydropower expansion without building new dams
Reducing global carbon emissions will require large-scale transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. Hydropower will likely play a role in those transitions as it provides reliable energy storage while counter-balancing intermittent renewables. However, the construction of new dams comes at significant environmental costs to river ecosystems. An optimal future considers how to maximize the benefits of hydropower while minimizing environmental impact through revitalizing existing infrastructures. Herein, we quantify this potential using a spatially comprehensive global inventory of geolocated dams used for purposes other than hydropower, and augment these results with modelled estimates of small, unmapped dams. Furthermore, we examine increases in hydropower potential from efficiency upgrades at existing hydro-plants. These opportunities afford non-invasive increases in hydropower in populated areas neighbouring biodiversity hot spots. Overall, we estimate that these contributions could potentially provide up to a 9% increase to current global hydropower, potentially reducing the costs of construction and transmission, all while offsetting impacts to biodiversity and river ecosystems incurred by planned new hydropower construction.
Global hydropower expansion without building new dams
Kayla Garrett (author) / Ryan A McManamay (author) / Jida Wang (author)
2021
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
Metadata by DOAJ is licensed under CC BY-SA 1.0
Exporting dams: China's hydropower industry goes global
| Online Contents | 2009
Exporting dams: China's hydropower industry goes global
| Online Contents | 2009
Online Contents | 2003
HYDROPOWER AND DAMS IN AUSTRAI.ASIA - Where would New Zealand be without hydropower?
| Online Contents | 2003
DAMS AND HYDROPOWER IN SPAIN - Hydropower & Dams in Spain and Portugal (Tables)
Online Contents | 2006