Chapter 3

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Planning and Development Process of

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Hydropower

By Kibrom G.

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 Planning and Development Process of Hydropower

• Hydropower is a renewable, non-polluting and environment friendly source of

energy.
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• Oldest energy technique known to mankind for conversion of mechanical energy

into electrical energy.
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• Contributes around 22% of the world electricity supply generated.
• Maximum benefits in minimum time.
• Offers the most fastest economical means to enhance power supply, improve
living standards, stimulate industrial growth and enhance agriculture with the least
environmental impact and without heavy transmission losses .
• less transmission losses
• The first hydroelectric power dam in the world was built in Appleton, Wisconsin
in 1882.
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Flow chart for Hydropower Development

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 Hydropower plant (HPP) Development

• An HPP project development, from concept to commercial operation, can be a

long-term process of a decade or more, especially for medium and large HPP
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projects Typically, the development process comprises seven major phases

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION / CONCEPT
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• Identification of potential site(s)
• Funding of project development
• Development of rough technical concept
• Negative impact on the natural resource

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 Hydropower Development
2. PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY
• Assessment of different technical options
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• Approximate cost/benefits
• Permitting needs
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• Market assessment

3. FEASIBILITY STUDY
• Technical and financial evaluation of preferred option
• Assessment of financing options
• Initiation of permitting process

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 Hydropower Development
4. FINANCING/CONTRACTS
• Permitting and Contracting strategy
• Supplier selection and contract negotiation
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• Financing of project
5. DETAILED DESIGN
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• Preparation of detailed design for all relevant lots
• Preparation of project implementation schedule
• Finalization of permitting process
6. CONSTRUCTION
• Construction supervision
7. COMMISSIONING
• Performance testing and Preparation of as build design (if required)

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 Hydropower Development Challenges
1. Enhancing the level of energy consumption,
particularly in less developed and developing countries, is a global challenge.
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(20% of world population living in industrialized countries consume 60% of energy

and remaining 80% of population have to manage within 40% of total energy.
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• wide disparities between the standard of living and quality of life of
high energy consuming countries on the one hand and those who
Result
do not have the opportunities of adequate access to energy on the
other.
•.
Decision • development of different sources of energy and increase in its
Should be consumption has become a priority agenda of all the
taken developing countries.

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 Hydropower Development Challenges
2. Various countries have adopted their own strategies to provide energy
to their people during last 30 years .
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♪ reduced from 21% in 1973 to less than 17% in 2000.

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♪ Coal based generation increased from 38% to 39%

By Kibrom
♪ Gas increased substantially from 12% to 17.4%
♪ Nuclear rise from 3.3% to 16.9

NB. there fore Special efforts are required to develop Hydroelectric capacities

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 Hydropower Development Challenges
3. Low Exploitation of Hydro Potential
Inspite of hydroelectric power requiring a clean energy generation process,
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exploitation (utilization)of Hydroelectric potential in various countries has

been rather on a lower side.
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COUNTRY POTENTIAL INSTALLED PERCENTAGE

Norway 47,000 27,360 58

Canada 160,000 65,378 48

Brazil 170,000 52,427 31

China 310,000 56,000 18

India 150,000 27,000 18

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 Hydropower Development Challenges
4. Declining proportion of Hydro Capacity
In the last 30 years, the proportion of hydroelectric capacity in the world power system has
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considerably reduced.
 Reasons:-power supply industry has always experienced the situation of shortages both in energy
and peaking requirements.
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 To tide (flow) over the shortage in shortest possible time, more dependence was placed on sources
of power generation with shorter gestation period
5. Thrust on Hydro Power
The thrust on hydroelectric development is based on the following considerations:
a) Hydroelectric involves a clean process of power generation.
b) Since it does not suffer from the limitation of inflation on account of fuel consumption, in the long
run, it is the most cost-effective option for power supply.

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 Socio-economic and
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Environmental analysis with

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Hydropower Development

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 Socio-economic and Environmental analysis with
Hydropower Development
1)Technical issues:
To expedite early execution of hydro projects, bankable Detailed Project Report
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(DPR) based on detailed survey should be prepared to avoid geological

uncertainties.
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Survey & investigation and analysis of geological, geomorphological, geo-
electrical, hydrological data etc. should be done at the time of preparation of a
DPR itself in order to minimize the impact of risks.
The quality of DPRs should be of high standard
At the same time, contract monitoring as distinct from project monitoring should
be emphasized and land acquisition and infrastructure development be settled and
completed before the start of the project.
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 Socio-economic and Environmental analysis with
Hydropower Development
2) Infrastructural issues
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There is a need to setup single space clearance for hydro projects so that a project is
cleared without many hassles (difficulties).
Various authorities such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and
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Forests, etc. are involved in the appraisal of a hydro power project before it is
certified for development. So it will be desirable to have a single window
dispensation/authority .
 The hydro projects which involve lesser risk element and entail lesser capital
investment can be considered for development in the Private Sector.
 Public Sector can take up
(a) Multi purpose Projects
(b) Projects involving cooperation with neighboring countries

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 Socio-economic and Environmental analysis with
Hydropower Development
3) Financial issues
• There is also a need to off-load indirect cost components on hydro project.
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• Many hydro projects are located in troubled areas and infested by militancy and
terrorist activities.
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• There is an urgent need to amend the present policy of the Government in regard
to charging the entire security expenditure from concept and until commissioning
on the project cost.
• The cost of access roads should not be included in the project cost, as
development of hydro projects triggers economic and commercial activities
around the project site and results in economic benefit to the State.

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 Selection of Site for Hydro-Electric Power Plant
(Efficiency of hydropower)
• Availability of water. Since the primary requirement of a hydro-electric power
station is the availability of huge quantity of water, such plants should be built at a
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place (e.g., river, canal) where adequate water is available at a good head.
• Hilly Area Required:
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For storage of ample quantity of water, both side of dam hilly area or strong
mountains required for storage of water.
• Civil Work:
It should have strong foundation or the cost of foundation should be as low
as possible
• Large Catchment Area:
Large catchment area required, so that the water in it should never fall below
the minimum level

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 Selection of Site for Hydro-Electric Power Plant
(Efficiency of hydropower)
• Transportation Facility:
For Workers & Civil Material required better transportation facility.
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• Near to Load Center:

To reduce cost of Transmission & Distribution the plant should be located
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near to load center.
• Availability of Material:
At the time of erecting the dam & power house a huge amount of civil
material is easily available without any shortage.
• Area free from earthquake:
Ample quantity of water storage in dam of hydro-electric power plant
because of earth quake chances to flood occurs; to avoid this area should be
free from earthquake
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 Selection of Site for Hydro-Electric Power Plant
(Efficiency of hydropower)
• Accommodation Facility:
For operational & maintenance staff better facility of accommodation is
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provided at reasonable rate

• Cost and type of land. The land for the construction of the plant should be
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available at a reasonable price. Further, the bearing capacity of the ground should
be adequate to withstand the weight of heavy equipment to be installed.

• Future Expansion:
For increasing per MW Capacity of plant the space is available for future
expansion.

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 Typical negative environmental and social impact of Hydropower
Regardless of project size, the project owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all
environmental and social impacts are taken into account following best practices, domestic
regulatory requirements, and financing institution expectations.
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Impacts Mitigation options

Downriver Hydrological Changes

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Major downriver hydrological changes can Managed water releases can mitigate these
destroy riparian ecosystems dependent on adverse impacts.
periodic natural flooding

Water-related Diseases
Some infectious diseases can spread
around hydroelectric reservoirs,
particularly in warm climates and densely
populated areas .Some diseases (such as
malaria and schistosomiasis)
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Public health strategies should include
preventive measures such as investing in
public awareness campaigns and window
screens, monitoring disease vectors and
outbreaks, controlling disease vectors, and
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 Cont…
Fish and Other Aquatic Life
Hydroelectric projects often have major effects on fish
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and other aquatic life .Reservoirs positively affect certain
fish species (and fisheries) by increasing the area of
available aquatic habitat
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Floating Aquatic Vegetation
floating aquatic vegetation can rapidly proliferate in
eutrophic reservoirs, causing problems such as (a)
degraded habitat for most species of fish and other
aquatic life, (b) improved breeding grounds for
mosquitoes and other nuisance species
and disease vectors, (c) impeded navigation and
swimming, (d) clogging of electro-mechanical equipment
at dams, and (e) increased water loss from some reservoir
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Managed water releases may be needed for the survival of
certain fish species in and below the reservoir .Fish passage
facilities (fish ladders, elevators, or trap-and-truck
operations) aim to help migratory fish move upriver past a
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dam but are usually of limited effectiveness due to the
difficulty of ensuring safe downriver passage for many
adult fish and fry .
 Undertaking pollution control and pre- impoundment
selective forest clearing reduces aquatic weed growth
in reservoirs
 Using chemicals to poison weeds or related insect pests
is best avoided due to the Environmental and human
health risks it poses.
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 Cont…
Loss of Cultural Property
Cultural property, including archaeological,
historical, paleontological, and religious sites
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and objects, can be inundated by reservoirs
or destroyed by associated quarries, borrow
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pits, roads, or other works
Reservoir Sedimentation
Over time, reservoir sedimentation reduces
live storage and power generation to a degree
that could also lower the projects’ long-term
prospects for renewable energy over the long
term
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Structures and objects of cultural interest
should be salvaged wherever feasible through
scientific inventory, careful physical relocation,
documentation and preservation in museums
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or other facilities .However, unique or sacred
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sites with religious or ceremonial significance
to indigenous or local people usually cannot be
replaced
Effectively implemented watershed
management can minimize sedimentation and
extend the reservoir’s useful physical life by
controlling road construction, mining,
agriculture, and other land use in the upper
catchment area
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 Cont…
Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and
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methane) are released into the atmosphere
from reservoirs that flood forests and other
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biomass, either slowly as flooded organic
matter decomposes, or rapidly if the forest is
cut and burned before reservoir filling
.Greenhouse gases are widely considered to be
the main cause of human-induced global
climate change.
Access Roads
New access roads to hydroelectric dams can
induce major land use changes
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Greenhouse gas releases from reservoirs can be
reduced with a thorough salvage of commercial
timber and fuel wood .However, this rarely
happens due to (a) high cost of extraction and
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transportation, (b) marketing constraints, or (c)
Political and economic pressures to avoid delays
in filling the reservoir.
Forests and other environmentally sensitive
areas along the selected road corridor should
receive legal and physical protection .
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 Cont….
Power Transmission Lines
Power transmission line right-of-ways can reduce
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and fragment forests; indirectly, they can increase
deforestation by improving physical access .Power
lines are responsible for deaths of large birds; power
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lines are considered an aesthetic blight .
Follow-on Development Projects
Hydroelectric dams often make possible new
development projects with major environmental
impacts, including irrigation, urban expansion, and
industrial facilities (due to new water supplies)
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Power lines should be sited to minimize concerns and
built using good environmental practices .Where
concentrations of vulnerable bird species exist, the top
(grounding) wire should be made more visible with
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plastic devices .Electrocution (mainly of large birds of
prey) can be avoided through bird-friendly tower
design and proper spacing of conducting wires .(Refer
to WBG EHS
Guidelines for Electric Power Transmission and
Distribution .)
Assessment of the cumulative impacts is needed
.Associated development projects should be planned to
minimize adverse environmental and social impacts .
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 Advantages & Disadvantages of Hydro-Electric Power Plant

 Efficiency of plant is highest and does not change with age.

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 Power generation can be controlled quickly & rapidly without any difficult.
 This plant is suitable for supplying power to variable load
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 By controlling discharge of water precisely, constant speed & frequency can
be maintained.
 The life of plant is longest.
 Generation cost per unit (KWH) is lowest.
 In addition to generation of electric energy H.P.P. is also useful for supply of
drinking water, supply of water for irrigation and control the flood
 It does not require a long starting time like a steam power station

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 Advantages & Disadvantages of Hydro-Electric Power Plant

Disadvantages:
 High capital cost due to construction of dam.
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 It depends on nature as it require huge amount of water which is store during

rainy season.
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 Firm power (Output) is totally depends on monsoon.
 It takes long time for complete erecting of power plant.
 It requires large area (catchment) area for storage of water.
 As sites are away from load center, so cost of transmission and losses in it
are more.
 There is limitation to select the site of HPP because of their requirements.

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 The Significance of Hydropower in the Socio-Economic
Development of Ethiopia
• There is a strong connection between the energy sector and a national economy.
On the one hand, energy demand, supply and pricing have significant impact on
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socio-economic development and the overall qua

• A report in the world energy outlook in 2004 also shows a strong association
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between economic growth and energy demand of life of the population.
• An average world GDP for the period 1971-1980 was estimated to be 20 Trillion
USD while the value increased and doubled to 40 Trillion by 1991-2000.
• Ethiopia has considerable energy resources that need to be exploited to accelerate
its socio-economic development.
• developing countries’ average figure for Electric Power (kW installed capacity per
1000 persons) is 272, Ethiopia achieved only 8 kW.

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 Adigrat University
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By Kibrom
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 Cont….

• A study by Ethio Resource Group with Partners (2007) shows that with only 6%
of house holds connected and 15% of the population having access to electricity
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• Estimates show that Ethiopia’s hydroelectric power generation potential is in the

range of 15,000 to 30,000 Megawatts (MW).
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• What has been developed so far amounts is about 4000MW or only 12 to 24% of
the total potential
• Energy consumption in Ethiopia is low in per capita terms, and its structure is
underdeveloped

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 Adigrat University
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Thank you

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By Kibrom
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