Dr John Gallagher

School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography

Bangor University, UK
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION TO HYDRO-BPT

LCA OF MICRO-HYDROPOWER

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
 ENERGY RECOVERY IN WATER &
WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

2. Break Pressure Tank

1. Reservoir & Water Works

e.g. Dublin, 90 kW, 75k p.a.

4. Wastewater Outfall
e.g. Yorkshire, 180 kW, 127k p.a.

3. Pressure Reducing Valve

 ENGINEERING
INVESTIGATING THE TECHNICAL
FEASIBILITY OF ENERGY RECOVERY
IN THE WATER INDUSTRY USING
MICRO-HYDROPOWER (MHP)
GIS MAPPING
CREATING OF A GIS DATABASE OF
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS
ENERGY RECOVERY POTENTIAL FOR
THE IRELAND-WALES REGION.
ENVIRONMENT
ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY: LIFE
CYCLE ASSESSMENT, CARBON
FOOTPRINTING.
COLLABORATION
DEVELOPMENT OF A BUSINESS /
COLLABORATION MODEL FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF ENERGY
RECOVERY BY INDUSTRY
STAKEHOLDERS IN PRACTICE.
LCA OF MICRO-HYDROPOWER

QUANTIFYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MICRO-HYDROPOWER IN

THE WATER INDUSTRY USING LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
OBJECTIVES

Quantify the environmental impacts of three micro-hydropower

(MHP) installations in water infrastructure

Identify key differences between materials use and construction

practices for these projects

Determine the carbon payback of the MHP installations and

compare to economic payback
 15 kW
Pen y Cefn
Water Treatment Works
Location: Gwynedd, Wales
Dr Cymru Welsh Water
Design capacity: 15 kW
Power output: 12.5 kW
Turbine: Zeropex Difgen
Head: 90-105 m
Flow: 10-30 l/s
Existing housing in place
Gravity fed by Llyn Cynwch
reservoir
New installation, flow control
from Difgen turbine to DAF
treatments system
90 kW
Vartry Reservoir &
Water Treatment Works
Location: Wicklow, Ireland
Dublin City Council
Design capacity: 90 kW
Power output: 78 kW
Turbine: Kaplan
Head: 7-16 m
Flow: 580-1200 l/s
Concrete housing constructed
Gravity fed from nearby Vartry
reservoir
Replacing outdated Pelton
wheel turbine which generated
electricity for site since 1940s
140 kW
Strata Florida
Water Treatment Works
Location: Ceredigion, Wales
Dr Cymru Welsh Water
Design capacity: 140 kW
Power output: 110 kW
Turbine: Pelton twin jet
Head: 183-195.5 m
Flow: 100 l/s
GRP kiosk constructed
Fed by Llyn Teifi and Llyn
Egnant raw water reservoirs
New installation, existing DAF
system on site, 250-300 kW
energy consumption on site
 RESULTS ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS

1. Normalised life cycle environmental burdens for MHP electricity

were lower for most categories assessed

Table 1 Life Cycle Assessment Impact Categories for Micro-hydropower Projects (Goedkoop et al.,
Table Life Cycle Assessment Impact Categories
2008).
Impact Category Abbrev Units Information
GHG emissions contributing to climate change and their
Global Warming
GWP kg CO eq. effects on ecosystem health, human health and material
Potential
welfare (measured in equivalents kg CO2/kWh).
Protection of human welfare, human health and ecosystem
Abiotic Resource
ARD kg Sb eq. health (measurement based on quantity of minerals extracted
Depletion
as a fraction of concentration of global reserves).
Impacts of acidifying substances on soil, groundwater,
Acidification
AP kg SO eq. surface water, organisms, ecosystems and building materials
Potential
(expressed as equivalent sulphur dioxide concentrations).
Substances that are toxic to human health, calculated with
Human Toxicity kg 1,4-DCBe
HTP USES-LCA, describing fate, exposure and effects of these
Potential eq.
substances (equivalent 1,4-dichlorobenzene).
Fossil Resource Figure
Depletion Normalised
of energy as fossilimpact category
fuel deposits contributions
used to generatefor MHP installations
FRD kg kJ eq. compared with in
marginal grid kg
electricity generation (300MW gas
Depletion electricity (measured equivalent kilojoules)
combined cycle plant).
RESULTS COMPONENT BREAKDOWN

2. Variability in construction practices and material use was evident in

range of global warming potential results of 2.14-4.36 g CO2eq./kWh

Figure Breakdown of environmental impacts of MHP case studies expressed per kWh generated over project 30-year
lifespan (solid = constant, hatched = variable)
RESULTS CARBON PAYBACK

3. Carbon payback times for MHP installations ranged from 0.16 to 0.31
years (extending to 0.19 to 0.40 years during sensitivity analysis)

Table Total environmental impacts of MHP projects for different impact categories and carbon payback time (expressed per
kWh generated over project 30-year lifespan).
Impact categories Carbon
Case
GWP ARDP AP HTP FRDP payback
study
(g CO2) (g Sb) (g SO2) (g 1,4DCBe) (MJ) (years)
10 kW 2.14 1.4E-04 4.0E-02 10.05 2.7E-02 0.16
90 kW 4.36 1.1E-04 4.3E-02 9.17 1.1E-01 0.31
140 kW 2.78 9.4E-05 3.3E-02 8.91 6.1E-02 0.21

Expressed per kWh generated over project 30-year lifespan

Carbon payback ~10% of financial payback

SUMMARY

An environmental and sustainable design approach to MHP projects

could reduce the environmental impacts of the technology

Environmental impact of MHP (per kWh electricity over nominal project lifespan).
Global warming potential of 2.14 4.36 g CO2 eq/kWh

The carbon payback was estimated to be from 0.16 to 0.31 years

Turbine/generator are consistent components; larger carbon footprint with smaller

installation per kWh capacity
material selection impacts upon footprint vs project lifespan
FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The carbon intensity of marginal grid electricity will increase in the

future, the estimated carbon payback time will increase by 1% annually

Table Mitigation forecasting for total GHG emissions offset by MHP installations between 2015 and 2050 (displacements
of CO2 emissions associated with gas power plant).

Cumulative GHG emissions

MHP installation (t CO2 eq.)
20141 2015 2025 20452 2050
10 kW -7 36 450 1,206 1,379
90 kW -86 173 2,658 7,191 8,233
140 kW -80 300 3,944 10,592 12,121
1
Assuming MHP installations constructed by the end of 2014.
2
Signifies GHG emissions produced over the 30-year lifespan.
1
Downward trend of GHG associated with marginal electricity generation
FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Installation of MHP by the water industry can provide a 2% reduction to

GHG emissions associated with water supply and treatment

MHP for energy recovery in water infrastructure can generate ~18 GWh of
electricity in Ireland and Wales
The installations would add 1,700 t CO2 eq. to the footprint of the industry

Carbon payback

Offset approximately 5,750 t CO2 eq. per year

2% reduction (20 g CO2 eq. per m3 of water) in the GHG emissions associated with water

supply and treatment (~1 kg CO2 per m3, (Defra, 2012))