Small-Scale Hydro-Power: Watt Committee: report number 15 PDF

Introduction

Despite the abundance of sites in the United Kingdom where small-scale hydropower could be exploited, only a very small proportion of such potential is at present developed.

The Watt Committee on Energy was concerned at this lack of exploitation of a valuable resource and therefore decided to establish a working group to examine the potential for development of further small-scale hydro-power as a useful addition to the energy resources of the United Kingdom. Its object was to identify obstacles which may have inhibited development in the past and to make suggestions for further study/action, with the eventual objective of helping to overcome the main obstacles and stimulate new schemes.

The working group was free to make its own definition of what was implied by ‘small-scale’, and decided, in broad terms, that this should be any resource below the size which the electricity boards had themselves considered worth developing. In electrical terms we considered this to be from 5 to 5000kW.

We also decided, in order to limit the field of our study, that we would not include wave or tidal power, as these could properly form the subject of separate studies. The papers forming this Report have been prepared by various members of the working group and explore the potential for small-scale hydro-power development in the whole of the United Kingdom. Topics covered include the technical problems and legal, institutional, environmental and economic aspects which may have inhibited development in the past.

The working group has been greatly helped and encouraged by the information and assistance provided by members of the National Association of Water Power Users who have direct experience of constructing and operating small private schemes. The number and variety of such schemes provide concrete evidence of the practicability of such development. The members of this Association are enthusiasts and have for the most part constructed and operated their schemes themselves. Whilst clearly beneficial to their owners as they stand, they would not all necessarily satisfy current economic criteria.

Our studies have been purposely limited to developments in the United Kingdom, but many aspects will be equally applicable to developing countries, particularly where a public electricity supply is not available in the vicinity and

the choice lies between hydro-electricity or, as an alternative, diesel generation with high-cost fuel. The papers in general deal with water power for the generation of electricity, as it is in this form that it is easiest to assess its value as a power source; however, where an alternative use for the power exists it may be simpler to harness the power for such use, as was done in the past, rather than to use it for electricity generation.

The technology involved in the development of water power is not new, but there are few people who have experience of both the engineering and the legal aspects, which are complex and varied. It is the hope of the working group that, by bringing together these subjects in one report, the problems facing potential developers of hydro-power will become better understood and many more successful schemes will result.

Author: Watt Committee on Energy Publications