Large Hydroelectric

History & Development | Principals of Hydroelectric Power Stations| | Types

of Hydro Turbines |Installed Large Scale Hydroelectric Installations | Pumped
Storage Hydroelectric Schemes |Status of Hydro Power Worldwide | Further
Information | References

Hydroelectric Technology History & Development

The first hydroelectric plant was built in the United States in 1882. This plant made use of a fast
flowing river as its source. Some years later, dams were constructed to create artificial water
storage areas at the most convenient locations. These dams also controlled the water flow rate to
the power station turbines.
Originally, hydroelectric power stations were small in size and were set up at waterfalls in the
vicinity of towns because it was not possible at that time to transmit electrical energy over great
distances. Nowadays the main reason there is large-scale use of hydroelectric power is because
electrical energy can now be transmitted inexpensively over hundreds of kilometres to where it is
required, making hydro power economically viable. Transmission over long distances is carried out
by means of high voltage, overhead power lines called transmission lines. The electricity can be
transmitted as either AC or DC.
Unlike conventional coal-fired power stations, which take hours to start up, hydroelectric power
stations can begin generating electricity very quickly. This makes them particularly useful for
responding to sudden increases in demand for electricity by customers, known as peak demand".
Hydro stations need only a small staff to operate and maintain them, and as no fuel is needed,
fuel prices are not a problem. Also, a hydroelectric power scheme uses a renewable source of
energy that does not pollute the environment. However, the construction of dams to enable
hydroelectric generation may cause significant environmental damage, depending on local
conditions.

Principals of Hydroelectric Power Stations

The amount of electrical energy that can be generated from a water source depends primarily on
two things: the distance the water has to fall, and how much water is flowing. Hydroelectric
power stations are therefore situated where they can take advantage of the greatest fall of a large
quantity of water- at the bottom of a deep and steep sided valley or gorge, or near the base of a
dam (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 Diagram of hydroelectric scheme

(Copyright Western Power Corporation )
Water is collected and stored in the dam above the station for use when it is required. Some dams
create big reservoirs to store water by raising the levels of rivers to increase their capacity. Other
dams simply arrest the flow of rivers and divert the water down to the power station through
pipelines.
While a water turbine is much more sophisticated than the old water wheels, it is similar in
operation (see Figure 2). In both cases, blades are attached to a shaft and when flowing water
presses against the blades, the shaft rotates. The effect is the same as wind pressing against the
blades of a windmill. After the water has given up its energy to the turbine, it is discharged
through drainage pipes or channels called the "tailrace" of the power station for irrigation or water
supply purposes or, in some parts of the world, even into the ocean.

Figure 2 Cut-away drawing of a water turbine generator

(Image courtesy of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme)
In a conventional coal-fired (thermal) power station each "generating unit" consists of a boiler, a
steam turbine, and the generator itself. A hydroelectric generating unit is simpler and consists of a
water turbine to convert the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy, and an electric
generator to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The amount of energy available
from water depends on both the quantity of water available and its pressure at the turbine. The
pressure is referred to as the head, and is measured as the height that the surface of the water in
the dam/river is above the turbine down near the base at the outlet.
The greater the height (or head) of the water above the turbine, the more energy each cubic
metre of water can impart to spin a turbine (which in turn drives a generator). The greater the
quantity of water, the greater the number and size of turbines that may be spun, and the greater
the power output of the generators.

Types of Water Turbines

Water for a hydroelectric power stations turbines can come from a specially constructed dam, set
high up in a mountain range, or simply from a river close to ground level. As water sources vary,
water turbines have been designed to suit different locations. The design used is determined

largely by the head and quantity of water available at the particular site.
The three main types are: Pelton wheels, Francis turbines, and Kaplan or propeller type turbines
(named after their inventors). All can be mounted vertically or horizontally. The Kaplan or
propeller type turbines can be mounted at almost any angle, but this is usually vertical or
horizontal.
The Pelton wheel (see Figure 3) is used where a small flow of water is available with a large
head. It resembles the waterwheels used at water mills in the past. The Pelton wheel has small
buckets all around its rim. Water from the dam is fed through nozzles at very high speed hitting
the buckets, pushing the wheel around.

Figure 3 Pelton wheel

(Copyright Western Power Corporation)
The Francis turbine (see Figure 4) is used where a large flow and a high or medium head of water
is involved.

Figure 4 Francis water turbine

(Copyright Western Power Corporation)
The Francis turbine is also similar to a waterwheel, as it looks like a spinning wheel with fixed
blades in between two rims. This wheel is called a runner. A circle of guide vanes surround the
runner and control the amount of water driving it. Water is fed to the runner from all sides by
these vanes causing it to spin. Propeller type turbines are designed to operate where a small head
of water is involved. These turbines resemble ships propellers. However, with the Kaplan turbines
(see Figure 5) the angle (or pitch) of the blades can be altered to suit the water flow.

Figure 5 Kaplan and propeller type turbine

(Copyright Western Power Corporation)
The variable pitch feature permits the machine to operate efficiently over a range of heads, to
allow for the seasonal variation of water levels in a dam.

Installed Large Scale Hydroelectric Installations

Large scale hydroelectric power systems have been installed all over the world, with the largest
systems having capacities over 10, 000 megawatts (MW) (equivalent to 10 gigawatts (GW)). Each of
these large scale systems require a very large dam, or series of dams, to store the enormous
quantities of water required by the system. The Kariba dam in Zimbabwe, holds 160 billion m3 of
water!

Hydroelectric Installations in Australia

The Snowy Hydro scheme is the largest in Australia, with a generation capacity of nearly 3 800 MW
(see Figure 7). The Snowy Scheme consists of seven power stations (2 underground), 145km of
tunnels and 16 large dams, with the largest, Lake Eucumbene, holding nine times the water
volume of Sydney Harbour. Hydro Tasmania also generates a large amount of hydro power in
Australia, utilising the high rainfall and mountainous terrain of Tasmania and other Australian
states, and has recently been expanding further into the Pacific area. The total main transmission
grid-connected generation (GWh) in the period 2003 04 was 212,952.83 GWh. Just over 7.2

percent of this was derived from hydro at a total of 15,399.80 GWh (ESAA, 2005). For a table of
hydro installations in Australia click here.
It is clear from the table that the vast majority of Australias hydro capacity is derived from the
installations owned by Snowy Hydro and Hydro Tasmania, approximately 50% and 30% respectively.
It is also apparent that the largest hydro projects were predominantly the first to be
commissioned.

Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Schemes

A large number of new hydroelectric projects are of the pumped storage type. Each station reuses
the water which passes through it, by storing it in catchment areas below the station and then
pumping it back up to the higher catchment dams above the station in a closed circuit
arrangement. This pumping is carried out in off-peak times when there is a surplus of power
available from coal, oil, or gas-fueled stations. In many countries nuclear power is used for offpeak pumping.
When pumping is required, a reversal of roles occurs. The generator operates as an electric motor,
receiving electricity from a nearby power station, and operates the turbine as a pump. The turbine
receives energy instead of delivering it. However, in some pumped storage schemes there are two
sets of equipment. One set is for generating and the other is for pumping. The use of pumped
storage increases the total amount of power generated by the hydro power station, however, this
increase is not renewable energy. The pumps are run by non-renewable sources, allowing excess
electrical energy to be stored as the potential energy, as the water is raised to the height of the
dam. The amount of renewable energy produced by the hydro power station remains the same.
A number of Asian countries have major pumped storage development programs. In Korea, the
Korea Midland Power Co Ltd (KOMIPO) has a 1,000 MW pumped storage power plant under
construction at Yangyang. Korea Southeast Power Co Ltd (KOSEPCO) operates a 600-MW pumped
storage hydro plant, and in 2004 the company finished a 800 MW pumped storage plant at Yecheon.
Korea Western Power Co Ltd (KWP) operates the 600 MW Samrangjin pumped storage plant and a
600 MW pumped storage plant at Cheongsong is under construction. The Korean Southern Power Co
(KOSPO) operates the Cheongpyong pumped storage plant and Korea East-West Power Co (EWP)
operates the 700-MW Sanchung pumped storage plant (Platts, 2005).
In Vietnam in 2005, the state owned power company Vietnam Electricity, published its ten year
plans for three 1200 MW pumped storage plants to be built at Bac Ai, Phu Yen Dong, and Phu Yen
Tay. At an estimated cost of US$2.3 billion, the three plants are designed to assist meeting the
peak demand in the country. (Wilmington Media Ltd, 2005). Thailands 500 MW pumped storage

facility in Lam Takhong, was brought on line in 2002 and is the first and largest underground
powerhouse in the country, at a depth of 350 metres (EGAT, 2006).
China boasts the Tianhuangping power station (see Figure 6). This is the largest pumped storage
hydro facility in Asia and the third largest in the world, with a capacity of 1.8 GW, comprising of
six 306 MW turbines. China now has 16 GW of pumped storage plants either existing, under
construction, or in the planning stage (Power-Technology, 2006); (World Energy Council, 2007).

Figure 6 The Tianhuangping Project in China is Asias largest pumped storage

plant. (courtesy ofPower Technology.com).

Status of Hydro Power Worldwide

In 1994, hydroelectric power represented 2% of the world's primary energy consumption (Ramage,
1997), and in 2004 the figure reached almost 6% (REN21, 2005). In 2004 there was around 740 GW
of installed hydro capacity worldwide, generating about 2,750 TWh (2.75 x 1012 kWh) of electricity
per year, and producing 16% of the worlds electricity (REN21, 2005). Hydro power supplies at least
50% of electricity production in 66 countries, and at least 90% in 24 countries. It is estimated that
only 32% of the economically feasible hydro power potential worldwide has been developed so far
(IJHD 1998a). In 2005 the installed hydro power capacity in Australia is 7.6 GW (DPIE, 1997). Of
this capacity, 50% comes from the Snowy Hydro scheme (see Figure 7) and 30% from Hydro

Tasmania.

Figure 7 Photo of Tumut 3 Power Station, Snowy Mountains

Copyright Snowy Hydro Limited
In 1997, Asia had an installed hydroelectric capacity of about 100 GW (BP, 1998). Asia is the
continent with the fastest growing hydroelectric industry, with many Asian countries stating that
hydro power is the main focus for the development of their power sectors. China currently has the
highest level of hydro power development activity in the world. The construction of the Three
Gorges Dam, the worlds largest hydro power project, has been completed and partially filled to
an intermediate level of power generation. The project will be fully completed in 2009 when
twenty six 700 kW generators come online to generate an astonishing 18.2 GW. China has also
recently completed its 1.836 GW Xiaolangdi project in 2000, one full year ahead of schedule, and
is now generating 5.1 billion kWh of electricity a year, costing US$700 million dollars less than
expected at $3.5 billion (see Figure 8). $1 billion of these costs were spent on resettling around
200,000 people (Power-Technology, 2006).

Figure 8 The construction of the Xiaolangdi Project, China (courtesy of Power

Technology.com).
Also in China the 3.492 GW Ertan hydropower plant was constructed in a record eight years (see
Figure 9). The plant boasts a 240m concrete arch dam and Asia's largest underground powerhouse
(280m long by 25.5m wide and 65m high), and the world's longest diversion tunnels at 1.167km.
Completed at the end of 1999, it produces around 3.9 billion kWh of power every year (PowerTechnology, 2006).

Figure 9 The Ertan Project in China has the worlds largest underground
powerhouse (courtesy of Power Technology).
In addition to Chinas installed hydroelectric capacity, schemes with a total capacity of 50GW are
under construction, which will double the existing capacity in the country. Construction of
additional large-scale projects has commenced: Xiluodo (14.4 GW), Xiangjiaba (6 GW), Longtan
(4.998 GW), Laxiwa (4.22 GW), and Xiaowan (4.2 GW). A further 80 GW of hydro power is planned,

including 13 stations along the upper reaches of the Yellow River, and 10 stations along the
Hongshui River (IJHD, 1998b), (International Energy Outlook, 1998).
In other countries, Myanmars 280 MW Paunglaung multi-purpose hydro power station has been
completed, and in the planning stages is the 140 MW Upper Paunglaung Hydel hydro power project,
upstream from the larger dam. In the Philippines, the 70 MW Bakun Scheme hydro power plant was
one of the first private hydro projects in the country, built by the Australian company Pacific Hydro
(Pacific Hydro, 2006). Vietnam has a large number of medium to large-scale hydro schemes to be
completed by 2010, including the 2.4 GW Son La scheme, which is under construction. India has
8.132 GW of hydro capacity under construction (including the 1.02 GW Tala and 60 MW Kurichu
projects), with further installations planned to achieve its 50 GW installed capacity initiative. In
2006, Indias large hydro installed capacity was 29.5 GW. Indonesias 1 GW Cirata (see Figure 10),
112MW Kotapanjang, 210MW Musi (also a pumped storage project), and the 184 MW Sudirman
hydro plants, all contribute to the total installed electricity supply to mitigate some of the
pressure of the looming energy crisis in Indonesia. (IAEA, 2006).

Figure 10 The Cirata project in West Java, Indonesia completed in 1998 has 8
x 126 MW Francis Turbines is Indonesias largest hydro power plant. (photo
courtesy of Taisei Corp).

Further Information
Information regarding renewable energy resources, technologies,
applications, systems designs and case studies.
APACE
The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams
International Energy Outlook 2011

World Energy Council - Survey of Energy Resources 2007 (pdf)

International Hydropower Association
Tamar Designs, Australia
Platypus Power

References
BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 1998. Hydroelectricity consumption data.
http://powerlab.fsb.hr/OsnoveEnergetike/1999/bpstat/pages/hydcon2.htm (Accessed 25
November 2008 - no longer available).
Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE), 1997. Renewable energy industry- survey on
present and future contribution to the Australian economy, Australian Government Publishing
Service, Canberra.
EGAT, 2006. Hydroelectric dams in the Northeastern Region. http://www.egat.co.th/en/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=58 (Accessed 25 November 2008 - no longer

available).
ESAA, 2005. Further growth in Australia's electricity consumption.
http://www.esaa.com.au/media_releases2005.html (Accessed 25 November 2008 - no longer

available).
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 2006. Annex V Indonesia. http://www-

pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/cnpp2003/CNPP_Webpage/PDF/2001/Documents/Docu
ments/Annex%20V%20Indonesia.pdf. (Accessed 25 November 2008).
The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams (IJHD), 1998a. Annual
Survey. http://www.hydropower-dams.com/ (Accessed 25 November 2008).
The International Journal on Hydropower and Dams (IJHD), 1998b. Annual Survey Asia. http://www.hydropower-dams.com/ (Accessed 25 November 2008).
Pacific Hydro, 2008. Bakun Hydro.
http://www.pacifichydro.com.au/OurEnergy/HydroPower/BakunHydroPhilippines/tabid/124/Defa
ult.aspx (Accessed 25 November 2008 - no longer available)
Platts, 2005. Platts UDI Country Profile South Korea.
http://apps5.oingo.com/apps/domainpark/domainpark.cgi?client=netw8744&s=ENERGYIT.COM
(Accessed 25 November 2008 - no longer available).
Power Technology, 2006. Tianhuangping pumped-storage Hydro Plant, China. http://www.power-

technology.com/projects/tianhuangping/ (Accessed 25 November 2008).

Power Technology, 2006. Ertan Hydropower Plant, Yalong River, China. http://www.power-

technology.com/projects/ertan/ (Accessed 25 November 2008).

Ramage, J., 1997. Energy- A Guidebook, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford.
REN21 Renewable Energy Policy Network, 2005. Renewables 2005 Global Status
Report.Washington, DC:Worldwatch Institute.
World Energy Council, 2007. 2007 Survey of Energy
Resourceshttp://www.worldenergy.org/documents/ser2007_final_online_version_1.pdf (Access
ed 25 November 2008.)