Sustainable Hydro Energy Dealing with environmental impactsChair’s brief Introductory comments

Er. M. Gopalakrishnan FNAEEx - Secretary General International Commission on

Irrigation & Drainage, former President, Indian Water Resources Society

President New Delhi Chapter – World Water Council

Hydro is a Green Energy• Hydropower is the largest renewable source of

electricity generation. Save losses in evaporation in pool, water is not consumed.

• The regular and reliable flows required for the generation of hydropower are, thanks to the healthy ecosystems upstream and the hill communities , if we can take on board the community’s concerns: catchment protection as well as development.

• Dams, built to create large reservoirs, act to help energy storage. They act as good tools to plan a stable grid.

• Dams are part of rain water harvesting process for human good.

Some environmental concerns• An issue for run off plants’ power generation is fragmentation of

river systems with impacts on ecosystem services that benefit human activities, economies and development (GEA, 2012).

• A recent global assessment indicates that of 292 rivers, 172 are affected by fragmentation of streams (Nilsson et al., 2005), obstructing up/downstream fish migration (EEA, 2012).

• Dams for energy and other multi objective uses artificially alter flows, reduces or eliminates seasonal floods and negatively impact river ecology, adjacent floodplains and wetlands (EEA’12).

• This impact on fish breeding grounds (affecting protein stock and fisheries), soil fertility, agricultural productivity, biodiversity and water quality (e.g. Herath et al., 2011; Oppermann et al., 2011).

Integration and cooperation in decision making on W,E and F.

• Establishing effective governance structures and clear policies to facilitate the integrated management of energy, water, and agriculture systems is a growing requirement

• The indirect costs of energy programs, including consumption or degradation of water, may have to be factored in the energy policies.

• India, while needing a wide range of energy technology options, should chalk out programmes such that their impacts on water and food are well understood and factored.

Some new concerns…• The impact of reservoirs and dams also include a

reduced levels of sediments transported downstream. Globally, dams in river systems reportedly trap some 4–5 Gt/year (Vörösmarty et al., 2003), about 25%, of total sediment transport (GEA, 2012).

• Almost a quarter (23%) of all anthropogenic methane emissions are argued as attributable to large dams (GEA, 2012), contributing to global warming.

• Hydro Projects impacts on water foot print ?• Demonstrate that planned hydro is superior to other

energy generation options.

India: The Energy Environment• For India, with an ambitious growth path, reliable

water & energy underpin all basic domestic services, health, food security, jobs and industry, and a healthy environment.

• Demands for water and energy are increasing at alarming rates, driven in large part by economic growth, increasing population and urbanization, increasing demand for food production and aspiration for better lifestyles.

• The country's peak power deficit - shortfall in generation capacity , during the time when the electricity consumption is the maximum - touched 10,876 MW in April 2012, according to the official data.

Grid & Hydro

• Grid Energy derives a good deal of steadiness and support if there is a sufficient hydro share because of its inherent characteristics like gas stations: they can be commissioned or laid off instantaneously in a fluctuating load condition.

• Since reliable supply of energy is basic to living, GDP and development, and hydro’s unique role is non substitutable by other energy generation options except gas, one should treat hydro energy on a special pedestal.

Strong linkage between GDP & per capita energy: the case in African setting

Accelerating GDP, (and Energy) in a retarding ‘per capita water availability’• Coherent activities related to energy

development, food security and water supply for human consumption constitute not only State and Central challenge but also regional in a larger scale(In South Asia, India has a lead role to play and synergise available resource strength ).

• Regional water cooperation is in many cases essential to get the optimal, given the settings in which India is placed, with a large unharnessed hydro potential that also lie in Nepal & Bhutan.

Participation in Power Generation

The gap in share of Thermal Power could have been filled in hydro?

Share in Energy-mix to the Grid

Thermal energy has always been a dominant source of power generation contributing nearly 64% (100,351.5 MW) of total power generating capacity;

Hydro used to contribute nearly 24% (36,885.40 MW) but recently this figure is dipping further .

Renewable energy sources help around 9.8% (15,427.10 MW),

Nuclear energy contribute 3% (4,120 MW) to the total.

‘Energy Growth’ : A dream without committing ‘Water’ ?• Producing a gallon of gasoline, takes about 1.5 gallons

of water. • Every one of the alternatives (promoted in the

Advanced Energy Initiative) takes more water, from 2 to 6 times more water as petroleum production and refining needs to produce a gallon of fuel.

• Producing ethanol from irrigated corn fields takes 1,000 gallons of water to produce a gallon of fuel. Producing biodiesel from irrigated soybean fields takes 6,500 gallons to produce a gallon of fuel.

• Conventionally, there has been a recognition of saving water for coal fired energy & water saving practices in industry as well as thermal stations compete to demonstrate their efforts.

Energy Growth needs Water - 2

More than half of water used for Energy in advanced nations like US is adjudged to be from coal-fired power plants and 30 percent attributable to bio energy.

IEA estimates that the oil and natural gas production together would account for 10 % of global energy -related water demand in ‘35.

India has foreseen in its projections as much as 130 bcm of water (as per NWDRM estimates) for energy, keeping in view the development and coupled energy needs and their generation.

The Global Scenario

“Energy and Water Roadmap”• Planning Energy needs has to take on board ‘allocated

water resources of tomorrow’ between sectors like food, people and nature to demonstrate it’s sustainability. MoWR estimates (NWM) can be a guide but may need refinement with advances in S&T.

• US & as other States are on the move to prepare their future energy portfolios, to know exactly how that choice will be interacting with water and agricultural needs...or even future energy needs… and the envt. interests

• While Industry is seized with this matter, a wider appreciation is still to take place amongst stakeholders

Water Foot Print - A Case foer ILR and hydro?

WF : an ‘emerging argument’ on options

• The water footprint (WF) is defined as the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services.

• Direct and indirect water use : People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but even more for producing things such as food, paper, cotton clothes, etc. The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct & indirect water use.

• The water footprint of Indian consumption was 987 billion m3/yr in the period 1997-2001, which means 980 m3/yr per capita. Nearly this entire footprint is within the country. Only 2% of WFP is beyond the borders.

• The total blue water footprint of hydroelectric generation in the world could be considerable based on a study that could reportedly cover only 8% of the global installed hydro. How far this could be questioned with validated data of Indian Hydro Projects? A research Need?

Against the flow! The concept of virtual water

• Virtual water trade and per capita total water resource availability (R2=0.006), as estimated by Kampman et al. (2008)

Source- http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/India

Water & Energy Nexus – Water Foot Print of Hydro

• Should the water footprint be factored in energy sector as one of the yardsticks?

• Is it feasible to assess this meaningfully?• Could an evaluation of existing portfolio of

hydro sets, bring in some new light?• What are the consequences of the water

footprint of hydro on downstream environmental flows and other water users? (+ve as well as –ve).

Inter Basin Water Transfer

• The Interlinking of Rivers envisage 34000 MW generation with storage dams, about 80% in Himalayas.

• Regional cooperation can enhance if development factors major interests of different sectors, like ecology, food security besides water security

• Can IBWT or ILR help correct the undesirable regional Water Footprint?

How to integrate approach for energy, environment and water plans for India’s multiple development objectives

Courtesy: CEEW approach : see www.ceew.in

The positive contribution of Hydrolinks it with air quality, climate changewith green arrow to envt.It has green linkage to allother energy andWater options

Material in red: author’s insertion

IHA Guidelines

IHA has brought in new Guidelines, that could also be useful

• The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol is an enhanced sustainability assessment tool getting introduced to measure and guide performance in the hydropower sector.

The Protocol assesses the four main stages of hydropower development: Early Stage, Preparation, Implementation and Operation. Assessments rely on objective evidence to create a sustainability profile against some 20 topics depending on the relevant stage, covering all aspects of sustainability.

What the protocol is..• A method for the assessment of individual projects

against globally applicable criteria• A series of assessment tools applicable to all stages of

hydropower development in all global contexts• An evidence-based objective assessment of a project's

performance, prepared by an accredited assessor• Involving leadings NGOs (eg WWF, The Nature

Conservancy, Transparency International)• Developed and governed by a multi-stakeholder,

consensus-based structure

What the protocol is not….• A standard, or a pass/fail mark – It provides the

means to improve the sustainability of specific topics within a project.

• A mechanism to provide a 'sustainable hydropower' or 'certified' stamp of approval

• A replacement for national or local regulatory requirements

• A replacement for an EIA or ESIA that is required to meet regulations or international lender's demands. (Rather the Protocol assesses the quality and extent of EIA's undertaken.)

                                                                           IHA Protocol envisages to counter many impediments as HPP progresses

An analysis in different perspectives shown in a spider diagramme ….

This should be viewed just as an overview of the entire project as well as the ability to find more information on specific topics, when needed ….

In the end, Chair shall seek the session to devote discussions on the theme also on…• Storage Projects in 12th Plan Agenda (Multipurpose, multi

objective Dam Projects) for Sustainable Solutions to yield ‘Water Energy and Food Security ‘caring eco-interests’.

• DSM as well as SSM : satisfying the increasing demands for a growing population. a fair financial allocation for dams and hydro, in respect new projects & / or deferred ones.

• Plans for the future on ‘Energy & Water Mapping’ and proactive MoWR’s steps on the ‘Interlinking of Rivers’.

• Research to study Indian Projects and GHG, eco-flows, the energy water links taking on board the concept of water food print per energy unit in Indian Hydro Sector.

• Reducing water footprint in energy generation and reflected them in pricing? Encouraging step for Hydro’s growth?