Hydro Facts
Greater awareness of the potential damage to the planet from global warming has lead governments and multinational organisations to take measures to mitigate the impacts of human activity on the climate. With little or no CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions and high energy payback, hydropower supports clean development and is recognised as being fully renewable and sustainable.
• Hydropower is the world's No.1 source of renewable energy and produces almost 20% of the world's electricity.
• Less than one third of the world's practical hydro capacity has been developed.
• Hydro beats all other electricity generating technologies with a pay-back ratio of 300 (energy produced/energy to produce) – this is ten times more than oil-fired power stations.
• There are no direct CO 2 emissions from hydro projects.
• Small hydro schemes have minimum visual impact on their surrounding environment.
• Approximately 40% of the UK's renewable energy is provided by hydropower.
• 25 countries depend on hydropower for 90% of their electricity (99.3% in Norway); 12 are 100% reliant on hydro. Hydro produces the bulk of electricity in 65 countries and plays some role in 155. Canada, China and the USA are the three largest generators of hydro electricity. Vietnam has over 2,500 micro-hydro schemes producing electricity for over 200,000 household. Even relatively flat countries can generate hydropower.
• Hydropower, after 150 years as an electricity generating source, is still one of the most inexpensive ways to generate power.
• Most large hydro stations have dams but thousands of small hydro stations have no dams – they are ‘run-of-river' schemes and make a minimal impact on the environment.
• Hydro is the only renewable technology that can be used to store large quantities of energy in a clean environmentally-friendly way. This is done by reservoir storage and pumped storage schemes.
• Hydro installations can have a useful life of over 100 years – many such plants are in existence worldwide.
• Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd of Kendal, England, has manufactured hydro turbines for longer than any other company in the world.
• A modern hydro turbine generator can convert over 90% of the energy in the available water into electricity. This is more efficient than any other form of generation.
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British Hydropower Association
Company Reg No: 5689982
12 Riverside Park
Station Road
Wimborne
Dorset, BH21 1QU
Tel: 01202 880333
Fax: 01202 886609