In the energy game, hydropower has been a sleeping giant. In comparison to other energy sources, its utilisation has decreased since the 1960s. This is starting to shift.
In The Energy Game, Hydropower Is A Major Player
The large production of electricity through the conversion of kinetic energy in water to electrical is known as hydropower. This is usually accomplished by building a dam on a river. The dam holds water back and then feeds it in a controlled manner. The water turns turbines along the way, which crank generators and generate electricity. The Hoover Dam in the United States, the Nasser Dam in Egypt, and the upcoming Three Gorges Dam in China are all well-known constructions.
The main question about hydropower is why we don’t use it more frequently. It is the dominant source of energy production in several nations, such as Norway. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is a clean energy platform that creates no emissions, pollution, heat, or fuel usage. The hydroelectric plant should be operational as long as the river flows. This has not always been the case in areas like Africa.
Hydropower is a relatively efficient energy platform when compared to other energy platforms. Energy conversion rates range between 80 and 90 percent. Plants have a lengthy life span, as can be seen with any dam, and maintenance costs are inexpensive. As a result, the cost of energy production is lower or comparable to that of other energy platforms, such as oil.
While hydropower appears to be a no-brainer as an energy source, there are a few drawbacks. The cost of constructing a hydropower dam might be quite high at first. It is possible that hundreds of millions of dollars will be necessary. The Three Gorges Dam, for example, is a multibillion-dollar undertaking. These figures are mind-boggling for smaller countries, and they should give most first-world countries pause. However, as the cost of fossil fuels rises, this is becoming less of a concern every day.
The environmental and human impact of hydroelectric dams is another source of worry. Damming a river is a difficult task with enormous consequences. A hydropower dam must limit the flow of water to the point where tens, if not hundreds, of miles of land behind it are submerged in order to function properly. This resulted in the loss of entire cities, monasteries, and huge alterations to the landscape in the case of the Three Gorges Dam. This is undeniably a detrimental issue, but regional changes appear insignificant in comparison to the worldwide impact of fossil fuel use.
Hydropower may not be glamorous, but it is one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient energy sources accessible.
