Analysis of Small Hydropower Generation Potential: (2) Future Prospect of the Potential under Climate Change

Abstract

The interest in renewable energy to replace fossil fuel is increasing as the problem caused by climate change has become more severe. In this study, small hydropower (SHP) was evaluated as a resource with high development value because of its high energy density compared to other renewable energy sources. SHP may be an attractive and sustainable power generation environmental perspective because of its potential to be found in small rivers and streams. The power generation potential could be estimated based on the discharge in the river basin. Since the river discharge depends on the climate conditions, the hydropower generation potential changes sensitively according to climate variability. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the SHP potential in consideration of future climate change. In this study, the future prospect of SHP potential is simulated for the period of 2021 to 2100 considering the climate change in three hydropower plants of Deoksong, Hanseok, and Socheon stations, Korea. The results show that SHP potential for the near future (2021 to 2040) shows a tendency to be increased, and the highest increase is 23.4% at the Deoksong SPH plant. Through the result of future prospect, we have shown that hydroelectric power generation capacity or SHP potential will be increased in the future. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to revitalize the development of SHP to expand the use of renewable energy. In addition, a methodology presented in this study could be used for the future prospect of the SHP potential.

Machine Learning-Based Small Hydropower Potential Prediction under Climate Change

“…This result can be attributed to a decrease in precipitation in future climate change scenarios. The decreasing trend of precipitation in the 2020s has also been mentioned in previous studies [43][44][45].…”

Attaining multiple sustainable development goals through storage hydropower development amidst community vulnerabilities

“…Moreover, these concerns can be managed to a considerable extent with supportive policies from the government, proper coordination between the central and local governments, as well as international collaboration. Jung et al (2021) show that Korea has a good prospect of hydropower development in the future even under the impact of climate change and recommend revitalizing small hydropower projects. China has become the largest hydropower generating nation (1302 TWh in 2019 with an installed capacity of 3000 GW in 2020) with a massive contribution from the 22.5 GW Three Gorges Dam project (IEA, 2020; Qin et al, 2020).…”

“…mention that hydropower will still be cheaper in the short term but may lose its cost advantage if other technologies develop faster and/or influencing factors such as climate change have harsh impacts on hydropower. Moreover, these concerns can be managed to a considerable extent with supportive policies from the government, proper coordination between the central and local governments, as well as international collaboration Jung et al (2021). show that Korea has a good prospect of hydropower development in the future even under the impact of climate change and recommend revitalizing small hydropower projects.…”

Some Views on Renewable Energy Marketing Due to Climate Change Impacts

“…Reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere can help slow climate change and ensure a better world for future generations. However, the effectiveness of carbon taxes in reducing carbon emissions is not as expected Appropriate future policies for clean power generation also relate to energy emission targets, carbon taxes, and transmission and distribution loss improvements (Jung et al,2021;McLaughlin et al, 2019;Awopone and Zobaa, 2017).…”