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| Fig. 1: The water cycle. This explains how water is able to reach higher altitudes than sea level and thus create kinetic energy to be harnessed for hydropower from gravitational energy. (Courtesy of the USGS) |
As the world shifts to focusing on usage of renewable energy sources rather than conventional sources, such as oil and coal (due to limitations and negative byproducts of these sources), hydropower is a highly relevant and promising source to consider for satisfying at least a portion of global energy needs.
According to the 2018 BP Statistical Review, hydroelectric power fuels 15.9% of the world's energy needs and furthermore, hydropower development is a key part of energy growth, with hydroelectric power growing by 2.9% over the past 10 years, which in turn causes hydropower to be an important resource when it comes to renewable energy discussions. [1] Hydropower as a source of clean energy is not a new concept, and is currently used in many parts of the world. Furthermore, China is an important contributor to hydroelectric power worldwide. Thus, this report examines the current state of hydropower generation in China as well as looking at the viability for hydropower as a clean energy source in China in the future. Finally, this report recommends further development of China's small hydropower infrastructure.
As a brief overview, hydropower is a renewable source of energy, created by the conversion of potential (gravitational energy) to kinetic energy by means of water falling. The process by which this occurs has to do with solar energy that drives the hydrologic cycle, in other words, the process by which water is able to reach higher altitudes than sea level through the water cycle. (See Fig. 1)
Hydropower is a favorable source of renewable energy from multiple perspectives, including economic viability and dependability, technological reliability, and predominately favorable environmental consequences. [2] There are limitations to hydroelectric power, such as the high upfront investment and potential environmental threats. Additionally, hydropower growth is limited by the existence of rivers and water sources to generate hydropower, and thus although hydropower is promising, it is not a limitless source of energy. However, even with this limitations in mind, at large, hydropower appears to be a promising source of energy.
Additionally, this report discusses the potential of small hydropower (SHP), also known as rural hydropower, which is defined slightly differently in different countries, but as a general rule of thumb, characterizes hydropower generation able to produce an upper limit of energy ranging between 5 and 50 MW. [3]
China is a an important player in both energy consumption and production. Furthermore, renewable energy is at the core of China's energy strategy, with a strong focus on hydroelectric power, in part due to a phenomena generally considered to be China's "hydro-industrial complex". [4] Below, the prospect of Chinese development of hydropower will be examined from three distinct perspectives: economic, environmental, and regulatory.
Economic Perspective: From an economic perspective, China is in a good position to produce and profit from hydropower. Recently, development of hydropower generation facilities and infrastructure is an integral part of China's energy plan. An example of this can be seen in China's intention to spend $5.2 billion on construction of the Xiaonanhai dam, dating back to 2013. [4] Additionally, the Economist cites that China has hydroelectric energy potential, with a likely 300 gigawatts of untapped energy potential. [4] Thus, hydropower is an important asset for Chinese economic growth.
Environmental Perspective: Hydropower provides a highly optimal alternative for energy needs when considering environmental costs of energy production. In comparison to other forms of energy, hydropower is better for the environment in multiple ways, including reduced waste byproducts, positive impacts on the environment in terms of river regulation, and finally, hydropower is cheaper than other forms of energy to produce once the sites of generation have been installed. [5] However, large dam development can be difficult and is often cited as a downfall of hydropower development. That said, small hydropower development, which will be discussed more in the "Future View" section of this report, is a good solution to the concerns surrounding large hydropower development. While hydropower is generally thought to be a clean source of energy, it still poses some degree of a threat to ecological systems. In regard to some of the common environmental issues associated with hydropower development, such as damages to animal species and potential harmful side effects due to dam reservoirs, small hydropower is not as disruptive to the local ecological systems. [5] Thus, investment in hydropower is still favorable to other forms of energy in a wide scale sense, but also investing in certain types of hydropower could prove to be even more beneficial for ecological systems.
Regulatory Perspective: From a regulatory viewpoint, China is an optimal place for hydropower development due to centralized authority to regulate development. According to a case study on Chinese hydropower development, the gradual development of Chinese hydropower sector development has been quite successful in recent decades, marked by installation exceeding 2,000 MW per year, thereby setting a record in international hydropower development and therefore has additionally gained China international attention in this sector. [6] China is in a favorable position to continue developing hydropower facilities and infrastructure, within the limit of physical possibility due to constraints of limited rivers and waterways. Furthermore, development on small hydropower proves to be a solid strategy for hydropower development, given that it can be managed on a more localized scale, in many parts of rural China. [6] Thus, the regulatory environment (both nationally and locally) are conducive to continued growth of the hydropower sector in China.
While hydropower in China appears to have an overall net positive impact on the economy, the environment, and for local communities, it is important to also consider issues that are associated with the growth of the hydropower industry in China. One of the largest issues associated with development of Chinese hydropower is the scale on which this project is sustainable. Due to a large initial investment associated with hydropower infrastructure in terms of energy, money, regulation, and distribution, one suggestion for future development is increased focus on development of small hydropower, within the limits of physical constraints due to water availability. These micro-scale hydropower stations are actually a viable and important means of hydropower development in China on a sustainable and more equitably profitable scale. Furthermore, small hydropower has already proven to make positive economic impacts on local Chinese economic interests.
© Serena Harber. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] "BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2018," British Petroleum, 2018.
[2] "Energy of Moving Water ," National Energy Education Development Project, 2013.
[3] A. Kumar and M. Singhal, "Small Hydropower Development," Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, 20 Sep 07.
[4] "Opening the Floodgates," The Economist, 20 Sep 13.
[5] "Hydropower," National Geographic, 9 Oct 09.
[6] I. Yüksel, "Development of Hydropower: A Case Study in Developing Countries," Energy Source. B 2, 113 (2007).