Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity
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Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby the natural flow and elevation drop of a river are used to generate electricity. Power stations of this type are built on rivers with a consistent and steady flow, either natural or through the use of a large reservoir at the head of the river (such as the Gouin Reservoir for the Saint-Maurice River in Quebec, Canada).
Power stations on rivers with great seasonal fluctuations require a large reservoir in order to operate during the dry season, resulting in the necessity to impound and flood large tracks of land. In contrast, run of river projects do not require impoundment of water. Instead, some of the water is diverted from a river, and sent into a pipe called a penstock. The penstock feeds the water downhill to the power station's turbines. The natural force of gravity creates the energy required to spin the turbines that in turn generate electricity. The water leaves the generating station and is returned to the river without altering the existing flow or water levels.
Most run-of-river power plants will have a dam across the full width of the river in order to utilize all the river's water for electricity generation. Such installations will have a reservoir behind the dam but since flooding is minimal, they can be considered "run-of-river".
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[edit] Advantages
Flooding the upper part of the river is not required as it doesn't need a reservoir. As a result, natural habitats are preserved and its environmental impact is less than reservoirs.
[edit] Disadvantages
The output is highly dependent on natural run-off. Spring run-off will create a lot of energy while winter will create relatively little energy. It is affected by tides so the output of energy varies 4 times a day. It has little or no capacity to store part of the riverflow and co-ordinate the timing of the electricity generation to meet the consumers' demands.
[edit] Major run-of-river power plants
- Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada (see:Beauharnois Canal) - 1658 MW
- La Grande-1 generating station, Quebec, Canada - 1436 MW
- Ghazi Barotha, Indus River, Pakistan - 1450 MW
- Chief Joseph Dam, Columbia River, Washington, USA – 2620 MW
[edit] Sources
- Freedman, B., 2007, Environmental Science: a Canadian Perspective; 4th edition, Perason Eduction Canada, Toronto, pp 226,394.
