Alternative Energy / Hydroelectric

• Small Hydropower’s Negative Impact on The Environment

  A belief that 'small' hydropower systems are a source of clean energy with little or no environmental problems is driving the growing interest in mini, micro, and pico hydro systems that generate from less than 5 kilowatts up to 10 megawatts of energy. Hydropower appears to be the cleanest and most versatile of renewable energy sources. But experience shows that optimism about its potential can be misplaced. Lessons of large hydro Hydropower uses water and gravity (a totally carbon-free and inexhaustible resource) to drive turbines and generate electricity. Unlike fossil-fuelled power plants, hydropower plants produce no gases or fly ash…

• Hydroelectricity in Tajikistan: A glimpse at the Present and Future

  The dam, the central feature of the Nurek Hydroelectric Power plant, stands 300 meters high, and supports nine hydroelectric generating units. The facility provides as much as 98 percent of Tajikistan's power. In summer, as the glaciers high in the Pamir Mountains melt, that means almost constant power in Dushanbe, 75 kilometers away. The dam complex and electricity plant are shrouded in secrecy and even photos of President Imomali Rakhmon's picture in front of the building were not allowed. Police chased away this reporter after detaining him and his frightened driver. Designed as a pyramid straddling the Vakksh River canyon,…

• Iran Sending Equipment to Tajikistan for Controversial Hydropower Plant

  Iran has begun transporting equipment to Tajikistan for the construction of a controversial hydropower plant. Ali Asghar Sherdust, Iranian ambassador to Tajikistan, said today that 75 tons of mainly electronic equipment to be used in the construction of the Sangtuda-2 hydropower plant (HPP) were flown into Dushanbe from Iran on December 29. Sherdust said the air shipments of the equipment are the only way to avoid postponing the completion of the project. He added that Iran has had difficulty in the past year transporting construction materials and equipment for Sangtuda-2 through Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan says the planned hydropower plants in Tajikistan…

• The Incredible potential of Small Scale Hydropower

  With the right support, small-scale hydropower could be a cheap and clean fuel for development, says energy advisor Teodoro Sanchez. During the past three decades, hydropower plants have been criticized for their environmental impact. But although large-scale plants have impacts, small hydro systems have no need for large dams, roads and other major infrastructure. In fact, most such plants are 'run-of-the-river' systems that rely more on gravity and nature than concrete and infrastructure. Given the right resources, small hydropower schemes are generally among the best options for providing energy to isolated off-grid areas. But despite the benefits of this proven…

• China’s Hydroelectric Sector Crippled by Severe Drought

  The unexpected things often determine the results of energy experiments or expectations. It is also axiomatic that nothing is ever perfect in this business. For proof of those two thoughts, consider what has been happening in China the past several months and how it has affected what was supposed to be one of the best examples of energy alternatives. A severe drought that has plagued southwest China since August 2009 has caused a painful shortage of water in the region. And that drought is crippling the region’s hydroelectric power generation sector. But the dams themselves are making the drought even…

• The Hydropower Solution in Central Asia: yes but...

  Surfing the wave of the hype for renewable energy such as hydropower and the invitation by the United States to many regional countries to get involved in the efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, Tajikistan is bringing back to the table the Rogun hydropower dam project.  Rogun, conceived in Soviet days, was planned to generate 3,600 megawatts but the collapse of the Soviet Union halted the completion of this project.  Now an independent country, Tajikistan, one of the poorest in the world, sees Rogun as a central element for its energy independence and a source of severely needed foreign currencies that could…

• Hydroelectric Energy Explained

  What is hydroelectric energy Hydroelectricity is basically electricity generated from the kinetic energy in moving water. It’s important to understand that the water doesn’t need to be falling, just moving! Energy created this way is called hydroelectric power or hydropower.At present hydropower is the most popular form of renewable energy and accounts for over 80% of the electricity generated from renewables and over 20% of the worlds electricity supply.The Scandinavian countries are big users of hydroelectric power, with Norway producing the majority of its electricity through Hydro and Iceland just over 70%.There are many generating stations (hydroelectric dams) around the…