Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering

HYDROPOWER ENGINEERING-I
HWRE3171
NATNAEL SITOTA
WATER RESOURCE ENGINEERING
 Chapter two
2. HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT

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 Chapter two
2. HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT
Instructional objectives
On completion of this lesson, the students shall learn about:
2.1. Hydropower Scheme
2.2. History of Hydropower Development
2.3. Hydropower Status in the World
2.4. Hydropower Potential & Status in Ethiopia
2.5. Problems Related to Power Production in Ethiopia
2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
2.7. Place of Hydropower in a Power System

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
 Water constantly moves through a vast global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans,
forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean.
 Hydropower is the energy extracted from the natural potential of usable water resources. It is the
capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose.
 When the energy of flowing water (pressure and velocity) is used to run turbines, then the
electricity generated is called Hydroelectric power.
 The head causing flow, runs the turbine blades, and thus producing electricity from the
generator coupled to the turbine.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
 Understanding the water cycle is important in order to understand hydropower. The energy
driving the water cycle comes from radiant energy released by the sun that heats water and
causes it to evaporate.
Hydrologic cycle……
Evaporation from water bodies
Water vapor moves upwards
Cloud formation
Condensation
Precipitate
Interception
Transpiration
Infiltration
Runoff-stream flow
Deep percolation
Ground water flow

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
 Catchment area……
 A watershed is a geographical unit in which
the hydrological cycle and its components
can be analyzed.
 A watershed is defined as the area that
appears, on the basis of topography, to
contribute all the water that passes through a
given cross section of stream.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Hydropower uses water as fuel that is not reduced or used up in the process. Because the water
cycle is an endless, constantly recharging system, hydropower is considered a renewable energy.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to hydropower schemes
Abutment: The foundation along the sides of the valley or gorge against which the dam is
constructed.
 Work: is transferred energy and is the
product of force times the distance moved.
 Energy: the capacity to do work.
 Power: is the rate of transferring energy
or work per unit of time.
 Dead storage. The storage in the reservoir
resulting from the accumulation of
sediment
 Live storage. The volume of water that is
stored in a reservoir that can be used for
power generation and etc.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to hydropower schemes:
 Spillway: The structure over or through which reservoir flood flows are discharged.
 Fore-bay: The impoundment of water above a dam or hydroelectric plant.
 Load: the rate at which electrical energy is actually delivered to or by a system. The out
put from several hydropower plants
 Demand: amount of power needed or desired
 Base load: The minimum constant amount of load connected to the power system over
a given period of time
 Peak load: The greatest amount of power given out or taken by a machine or power
distribution system in a given time. It can be generated for less than ~8 hours/day
The capacity (installed capacity): The maximum power which can be developed by the
generators.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to hydropower schemes:
 Dump energy: The energy generated that cannot be stored and is beyond instantaneous
needs. Usually sold at low price.
 Firm (primary) power (base load): The power, which can be produced by a plant with
no risk.
 For a single hydroelectric plant, it corresponds to the min. availability of storage.
 Firm energy is marketed with high price.
 Surplus (secondary) power: All the power available in excess of firm power.
 Secondary power cannot be relied upon.
 Its rate is usually less than that of firm power.
 It can be generated ~9 to 14 hours/day.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
The load curve: The variation of power  The load duration curve: It gives the relation
requirement against time. between the power generated and the
Evening hours---------------High demands corresponding time interval that can guarantee
Midnight---------------------Low demands the generation of that power.
Weekend --------------------Low demands
Winter------------------------ High demands

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to H n = Hg - (head loss)
hydropower schemes: Design head: the effective head for which the
 Generator. A machine that converts mechanical turbine is designed for best speed and efficiency.
energy in to electrical energy
Hydraulic head: is the elevation difference the
water falls in passing through the plant.
Gross-Head. The difference in elevation
between the head water surface and the tail water
surface.
Net head: is the effective head on the turbine
and is equal to the gross head minus the
hydraulic losses before entrance to the turbine
and outlet losses.
 The head available for energy
production.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to hydropower schemes:
 Rated head: is the lowest head at which the full-gate discharge of the turbine will produce
the rated capacity of the generator. It is normally referred to as the rated net head in the
guarantee of the manufacturer. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with the term
effective head.
Critical head: as the net head or effective head at which full-gate output of the turbine
produces the permissible overload on the generator at unit power factor. This head will
produce maximum discharge through the turbine. "Critical head" is used in studies of
cavitation and turbine setting.
Discharge: the volume rate of flow with respect to time through the plant.
Full gate discharge: the flow condition which prevails when turbine gates or valves are
fully open. At maximum rated head and full gate, the maximum discharge will flow through
the turbine.
Rated discharge: gate opening or plant discharge which at rated head produces the rated
power out put of the turbine.

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 2.1. Hydropower Scheme
Terms and parameters pertinent to spillway, outlet, powerhouse, penstock,
hydropower schemes: tunnels, etc.
 Hydraulic efficiency, eh: The ratio of net
head to gross head.
Overall efficiency, e: eh x et x eg
 et: efficiency of turbines
 eg: efficiency of generators
 e is around 60-70%
Turbine. A machine which converts the
kinetic energy of fluids to mechanical
energy
Appurtenant features: Any physical
feature other than the dam, such as the

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 2.2. History of hydropower development
Some of the earliest innovations in using water power were conceived in China during the Han
Dynasty between 202 BC and 9 AD.
Trip hammers powered by the vertical-set water wheel were used to pound and hull grain,
break ore, and in early paper-making.

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 2.2. History of hydropower development
In 1878, the world's first hydroelectric power scheme was developed at Cragside
in Northumberland, England by William Armstrong. It was used to power a single arc lamp in
his art gallery
 The old Schoelkopf Power Station No.1, US, near Niagara Falls, began to produce electricity in
1881. The first Edison hydroelectric power station, the Vulcan Street Plant, began operating
September 30, 1882, in Appleton, Wisconsin, on Fox River, USA to serve a system of private and
commercial customers with an output of about 12.5 kilowatts.
Within a decade, hundreds of hydropower plants were in operation. They were used to supply mills
and light some local buildings.
The largest projects, Itaipu in Brazil with 14,000 MW and Three Gorges in China with 22,400 MW,
Hydropower projects are always site-specific and thus designed according to the river system they
inhabit.

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 2.3. Hydropower Status in the world
Hydropower is the leading renewable source for electricity generation globally, supplying 71%
of all renewable electricity
The status of hydropower with respect to the total power generation varies considerably from
country to country.
According to hydropower status report (IHA, 2019):
Hydropower development today is most active in fast growing countries.
The total worldwide technical potential for hydropower generation is 14,576 TWh/yr
(1292GW including pumped storage) …..1308GW in 2020
It generated 16% of the world’s electricity from all sources.
A record 4,200TWh (28.712%) in electricity was generated from hydropower in 2018.
East Asia and the Pacific once again added the most capacity, with 9.2 GW installed last
year. Followed by South America (4.9 GW), South and Central Asia (4.0 GW), Europe
(2.2 GW), Africa (1.0 GW) and North and Central America (0.6 GW).

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 2.3. Hydropower Status in the world
According to hydropower status report (IHA, 2019):
China added the most capacity with the installation of 8,540MW, followed by Brazil
(3,866 MW), Pakistan (2,487 MW), Turkey (1,085 MW), Angola (668 MW),Tajikistan
(605 MW), Ecuador (556 MW), India (535 MW), Norway (419 MW) and Canada (401
MW)
Brazil has now become the second largest producer of hydroelectricity by installed
capacity, reaching 104.1 GW, surpassing the United States at 102.7 GW. The world's
largest hydropower producer is China with 352.3 GW of installed capacity.
Pumped hydropower storage capacity reaching 160.3 GW (up 1.9 GW on 2017)
Developing countries need affordable energy to:
Increase agricultural productivity;
Deliver basic educational and medical services;
Establish adequate water supply and sanitation facilities, and
Build and power new job-creating industries

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world
In 2015

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 2.3. Hydropower Status in the world
This study by IHA analyses 9,266 hydropower stations worldwide, of which, according to
ICOLD, 40% are multi-purpose and 60% single purpose. Figure 1 shows the evolution of single
and multipurpose hydropower projects from 1900 to 2018.

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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2.3. Hydropower Status in the world

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Introduction
 As a result of the country’s topography suitability and abundant river flows,
hydropower has been the cheapest and the main energy source in Ethiopia.

 The abundance of the resource and its relatively low cost of energy production make
hydropower the first choice for system expansion.

 However, Ethiopia also has other renewable and non-renewable energy resources that
may be utilized for energy generation;

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
Rainfall map and water potential of Ethiopia.

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Power plants in Ethiopia (under construction / operational) ≥ 1 MWe installed capacity (as
of 2017) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_Ethiopia)

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
Hydropower development and its potential in Ethiopia
 The water power generation, came to existence in Ethiopia at the beginning of 1930's.
 The first hydropower scheme was Abasamuel (Awash basin) commissioned in 1932.
 This station was capable of generating 6 MW and operational up to 1970. Now it is under
rehabilitation.
 In Ethiopia, by 1990s:-
 The total amount of energy consumed in the country was 698.84joules.
 A bout 95.1 % of the energy requirement satisfied through the traditional energy sources (wood,
charcoal…). The remaining 4.9% through modern sources such as fuel oil, gas(4.3) and
electricity(0.6)
As Ethiopia is a quickly developing country, the demand for electricity grows by 30% each
year. This results in a very dynamic situation with lots of power plants being planned
simultaneously or being under construction.

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 The gross hydropower potential of the country is in the order of 650 TWh/year; vast hydropower
potential, distributed across eight major river basins with an exploitable hydropower potential of
45,000 MW, is the 2nd highest in Africa next to Dr.Congo.
 With this potential Ethiopia is usually referred as the power house of Africa which constitutes,
20% of total technically feasible potential in Africa.
 Approximately 30,000 MW is estimated to be economically feasible which is equivalent to an
electricity generation of 162 TWh (260TWh).
 Most of the rivers generally drop hundreds of meters in relative short distances. Ethiopia’s
plentiful hydropower resources are distributed in nine major river basins
About 85% of the total hydropower potential is found in Blue Nile, Ome-Gibe & Baro basins,
where the nearly-completed 6,450 MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the recently-
completed 1,870 MW Gibe III project, are located.

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia

 Ethiopian River Basins

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 The current installed capacity is about 4566 MW. By 2025 the country’s total installed capacity
will be 17,300 MW. (source: GTPs documents).
The demand for electricity is expected to grow at a rate of 12.7 % each year according to the
EEPC
Within the GTP periods, Ethiopia plans to commission a further new hydropower:
The cascaded Genale Dawa,
Geba I and II 385 MW.
Gibe IV and Gibe V (2,000 MW and 600 MW, respectively)
The Upper Dabus (326 MW) and
Halele Werabesa (436 MW)


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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 In the year 2014 according to an estimation of the CIA Ethiopia had- an annual electricity
production of 9.5 TWh and was at position 101 worldwide.
The total installed capacity was ~2,4 GWe (position 104)
In July 2017, the country had a total installed capacity of ~4.33 GWe and an annual electricity
production of 12.5 TWh. And more than 6600MW under construction.
In 2017, 10.4% of the potential has been exploited; to date hydropower has the lions share with
90% of the installed capacity( covering nations demand) and with 93.4% of the annual electricity
production. By 2020 about 14,000MW could be operation.
Access to electricity (% of population) in Ethiopia was reported at 42.9 % in 2016, according to
the WB collection.

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Hydropower Potential of Ethiopia

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Hydropower Potential of Ethiopia by basin
Number of Potential Sites
Medium Technical
Name of Small Percentage
Scale Large Scale Hydropower
River Basin Scale 40 Total Share of the
40-60 > 60 MW Potential
MW Total %
MW (GWh/year)
Abbay 74 11 44 129 78,800 48.9
Rift Valley Lakes 7 - 1 8 800 0.5
Awash 33 2 - 35 4,500 2.8
Omo – Gibe 4 - 16 20 35,000 22.7
Genale – Dawa 18 4 9 31 9,300 5.8
Wabi Shebelle 9 4 3 16 5,400 3.4
Baro Akabo 17 3 21 41 18,900 11.7
Tekeze – Angereb 11 1 8 20 6,000 4.2
Total 173 25 100 300 159,300

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Hydropower Potential of Ethiopia in GWh by basin and generation type

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 According to MoWIE, technical and economic exploitable power of Ethiopian river basins is
shown below (Source: MoWIE Conference August 27, 2019)

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Ethiopia also plans to begin construction on the following projects

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Complete list of all Hydropower plants in Ethiopia published by the Ethiopian Electric Power

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 Candidate list of all Hydropower plants in Ethiopia.

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 2.4. Hydropower potential & Status in Ethiopia
 The Ethiopian electric power corporation presently maintains two different supply systems:
namely:
The interconnected system(ICS),
 Which is mainly supplied from hydropower plants
 Has a total installed generation capacity of about 4566 MW
 Over 98% of the total generation in the country comes from the ICS
Self contained system(SCS),
 Which consists of mini-hydropower plants and a number of isolated diesel generating
units that are widely spread over the country
 Has a total installed generation capacity of about 45.7 MW. (outdated data)
Of the total (ICS and SCS) supply system 99% is from hydro.

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 2.5. Problems related to power production in Ethiopia
Although the country is known to have the potential to produce substantial amounts of energy
from its various sources, currently most of the energy consumed comes from biomass. As a result:
Lowest income
High rate of population growth (2.8%)
Scattered settlement pattern (>80% rural, 63 person/km2)
Higher cost and time consuming study and design phase.
Lack of integrated water resources management
Low domestic capacity building

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 2.5. Problems related to power production in Ethiopia
There are other factors that directly affect the energy resources utilization in the country. These
are:
High investment cost (800 to 3000 USD/KW)
 Too low domestic investors ability
 Low credit availability (Most of the project construction materials could easily be
obtained here)
Higher risk (commercial, political, construction and hydrological risks)
The water holding capacity of catchments and reservoirs is decreasing
Inefficient in energy utilization which results in a high degree of energy resources wastage in
the country
Lack of capacity to effectively develop the country’s energy resources such as hydropower,
solar and other renewable energy sources
The fact that climate change is causing erratic rainfall, both in amount and distribution and
consequent fluctuations in hydropower energy supply in the country

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 2.5. Problems related to power production in Ethiopia
Efforts made to tackle the problem associated with energy resources development and utilization
A national energy policy has been issued
Even though insignificant compared to the vast potential, some attempts to utilize renewable
energy resources have been made
Some steps to promote charcoal and other biomass energy efficient cooking stoves have been
taken
An investment code that encourages the involvement of the private sector in energy generation
has been prepared
Survey, design and construction are being done to develop the country’s huge hydropower
potential
There are ongoing initiatives in the agricultural sector designed to encourage the participation
of rural communities in the development of forest for firewood.
In order to enhance energy development for rural areas, a Rural Energy Development
Promotion Centre has been established as an independent entity by the Federal Government
and by some Regional States, and
A Rural Electrification Fund has been established
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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Advantages of Hydropower:
Do not require fuel, so it is clean fuel source.
Well suited for taking up short period peaking power condition in power grid system.
Hydropower plants can be brought in to operation in few minutes while thermal & nuclear
power plants lack this capability.
Hydropower plants are highly reliable, robust, and have higher life expectancy
 Thermal & nuclear 25-30 years
 Hydropower 50-100 years
Hydropower plants provide benefits in addition to clean electricity. Impoundment
hydropower creates reservoirs that offer a variety of recreational opportunities, notably
fishing, swimming, flood control, boating etc.. Most hydropower installations are required to
provide some public access to the reservoir to allow the public to take advantage of these
opportunities.
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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Advantages of Hydropower:
Is clean and free of environmental pollutions. There is no danger of radiation, hazards and no
nuisance of smoke.
Hydropower is generally available as needed; engineers can control the flow of water
through the turbines to produce electricity on demand.
Hydropower has a 'continuous' source of energy, while thermal power has a depletable fossil
fuel source. Besides hydropower doesn't consume the water.
Running cost of hydropower plant is very low compared to thermal and nuclear plant.
Relies on the water cycle, which is driven by the sun, thus it's a renewable power source.
 Has the highest energy conversion efficiency (80-95%) (Thermal & nuclear 30-60 %).

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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Advantages of Hydropower:
Affordable and reliable energy: Hydropower is the lowest cost source of electricity
generation in many markets, with a global weighted average cost of USD 0.05 per kWh for
new hydropower projects (IRENA 2018).
Enabling solar, wind and other renewables: Hydropower supports growth in variable
renewables such as wind and solar, meeting demand when these sources are unavailable.
Protecting from floods and drought: The storage infrastructure provided by a hydropower
reservoir mitigates against the risks posed by climate change, including extreme weather
events such as floods and drought.
Managing freshwater responsibly: Hydropower provides a vital means of safely managing
freshwater, providing water supply for homes, businesses and agriculture.
Avoiding pollutants and emissions: Hydropower is a low carbon technology which helps to
offset the carbon emissions and pollutants caused by fossil fuels.

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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Advantages of Hydropower:
Improving infrastructure and waterways: Hydropower development delivers greater
regional connectivity in distribution and transport networks .
Enhancing cooperation between countries: Long distance electricity transmission across
national boundaries promotes strong inter-governmental cooperation.
Community investments in rural areas: Hydropower development can bolster investment
in local communities, including education, healthcare and other services.
Recreational activities and tourism: Hydropower reservoirs can offer regional
development through the creation of tourism, recreational activities and fisheries.

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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Extreme quick response of hydropower compared to other technologies:
Hydro Thermal

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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Disadvantages of Hydropower:
 It is capital intensive and therefore rate of return is low;
 The gestation period is long(about 10 to 15 years between initial idea and final project
inauguration). This period is low for thermal power plants;
 Hydropower is dependent on natural flow of streams. Since this is very variable the
dependable or firm power is considerably low compared to total capacity.
 The initial cost of hydropower plant is high due to the longer gestation period and the
involvement of huge civil and hydraulic engineering works.
 Fish populations can be impacted if fish cannot migrate upstream past impoundment dams
to spawning grounds or if they cannot migrate downstream to the ocean. Remedies are fish
ladders or elevators, or by trapping and hauling the fish upstream by truck. Other
remedies can be by maintaining a minimum spill flow past the turbine.
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 2.6. Merits and Demerits of Hydropower
Disadvantages of Hydropower:
 Hydropower can impact water quality, alteration of water level and flow. Hydropower plants can cause
low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which can be remedied by various aeration techniques,
which oxygenate the water.
 Hydropower plants can be impacted by drought. When water is not available, the hydropower plants
can't produce electricity. What is the remedy for this ?
 Long transmission lines are required as the plants are located in hilly areas, which are quite far from
load centers.
 The reservoir (if any) submerges (flooding) of huge areas of land, uproots (disturbance) of large
number of population, serious geological problems and creates social & other problems and also
dam breach problem.
The cost of hydro energy is approximately
 One-fifth of the cost of energy generated by fossil, and
 One-tenth of the cost of energy generated by nuclear plants.

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 2.7. Place of hydropower in a power system
It is customary to distinguish the power demand into two parts:
 The base load demand, which is present only for most part of the year, and
 The peak load demand, which is present only for a fraction of time.
A power grid has to be capable of catering the maximum of peak load demand rate of power.
In a grid system the general planning is such that some stations will runs as base- load station
and some others run as peak- load stations.
 In the power products mix of Thermal, Hydropower and Nuclear sources, the load sharing
must be such that hydropower is used for peaking purposes, due to its quick staring & relative
ease in peaking up loads.

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 2.7. Place of hydropower in a power system
 Location of Hydropower in ICS
Hydropower

Nuclear
Load (MW)

Thermal

Time (months)

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 2.7. Place of hydropower in a power system
 Location of Hydropower in ICS

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 2.7. Place of hydropower in a power system
Operation hydro and thermal plants together in
an interconnected power distribution system.
Hydroelectric power plants and thermal plants
are utilized in a rotational manner by considering
The quantity of water stored behind the
reservoir,
The future hydro meteorological
conditions expected, and
The availability of the fuel.
In periods with plenty of water:
Hydroelectric power plants are mainly
used to generate base load in order to
save fuel.

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 2.7. Place of hydropower in a power system
In periods with low flow season:
Thermal plants are used to produce the
firm or base load.
Combined system allows max. efficiency for
optimum economic utilization.

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