POWER/ELECTRICITY
Electricity, though a comparatively recent development, has become indispensable - to us today. The main ways of deriving electricity is from burning fuels (thermal) and running water (hydro-electricity). Other sources are nuclear energy and non-conventional sources like wind and sun.
HYDEL POWER Hydro-electricity development is dependent upon the following factors: (a) a head of water, waterfalls are useful, a dam may be built to create falling water; (b) large amounts of water to make it more economic; (c) regular and reliable supply of water; (d) presence of lakes which are useful for water storage; (e) space for a reservoir. Heavy capital investment is needed as maintenance costs are also high.
World Distribution of Hydel Power Many hydroelectric power (HEP) generating plants are situated in uplands where the rivers and streams have a steep gradient and waterfalls are common, e.g., in Scandinavia, the Swiss Alps, the Rocky Mountains, the Japanese Alps and the Appalachians. Rivers with a low gradient but a large.
yolume of water can also be used, e.g., the River Shannon in Ireland or the River Volta in Ghana. HEP stations are usually found in: (i) mountainous areas, especially those which have been glaciated and have many waterfalls and lakes, (ii) tropical and temperate regions which experiences a moderate to heavy well-distributed rainfall, (iii) on major rivers with a large volume of water, (iv) in industrial countries where there is a large demand for all power sources, including HEP, (v) in areas where multipurpose dams encourage regional development. The USA is the world's leading producer of HEP. Scandinavia and countries bordering on the Alps-Switzerland, France and Italy make use of HEP. Ukraine and Russia have large HEP stations.
Important hydro-electric projects in the world are as follows:
US Grand Coulee Dam (River Colum~ia); Hoover or Boulder Dam (River Colorado); St. Lawrence Seaway with huge generating plants at Beauharnois, Cornwall, Prescott and Kingston; dams at Fort Peck, Garrison, and Fort Randall on Mississippi and Missouri rivers; and Tennessee Valley Authority (TV A), which includes Canada and comprise over 25 dams.
Canada La Granade Project (River La Grande), Churchill Falls Project (Churchill Basin); and St. Lawrence Seaway Project
Brazil Tucurui Project (Tocantins Basin); Paulo-Alfonso Project (River Sao Francisco)
Paraguay-Brazil Itaipu Project (Parana Basin)
Paraguay-Argentina Corpus Posadas Project (Parana basin)
Venezuela Guri Project -(Orinoco Basin)
Ukraine Dnieper combine scheme, comprising a series of qam along the Dnieper.
Russia Suyano-Shushensk, Kransnoyarsk and Bratsk projects (all in Yenisey Basin): Volgograd and Kuybyshv projects (both on River Volga)
France Donzere-Mondragon Project (Sa one and Rhone rivers); Grenoble Project (Isre river); Argentiere Project (River Durance)
China Several large dams along the Hwang Ho,Yangtze, Si Kiang rivers.
Australia Snowy River Scheme
Besides the above-mentioned projects, several other hydel projects have also been constructed in other parts of the world.
Hydel Power in India India has witnessed considerable . progress in the field of hydro-electricity since independence. Besides various multipurpose river valley projects such as Bhakra-Nangal, Damodar Valley, Hirakud and Chambal, there has been construction of a few exclusive hydel power projects. (See table on power projects in India.)
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