EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential: Eurelectric
Hydropower in the EU has only reached half of its maximum potential growth, according to a new report by European power industry associationEurelectric.
“More than 50% of technological hydropower capacity can still be deployed in the EU,” said Ghislain Weisrock, public affairs officer at France’s GDF Suez, as he presented the report at a Eurelectric conference in Brussels Monday.
Weisrock, who is also a member of Eurelectric’s hydropower working group, said thatadditional hydropower output of up to 276 TWh/year is still technically feasible in the EU.
If Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are included this jumps to 600 TWh/year, Weisrock said.
“Hydropower in the EU accounts for 69% of total renewable energy output,
making it one of the most important electricity sources in Europe,” Weisrock said, citing 2008 figures from the International Energy Agency.
The EU needs still more peaking capacity because of the rapid growth in intermittent wind and solar power production. “Hydropower provides the flexibility to stabilize electricity systems,” he said.
Hydropower faces many socio-economic challenges such as the impact of the EU water frameworkdirective
and also gaining public approval for new sites. But Weisrock said it remains the most attractive of the renewables, not just because it is a more mature technology but also because of its storage capability and cost.
Hydropower is the cheaper renewable energy power in most cases,
even than wind, but it needs long-term investment. Challenges for hydropower include the development of additional potential, the optimization of existing plants and the use of pumped storage facilities,” he said.
The EU’s water framework directive has had a large impact on hydropower — most of hydro’s potential to be developed is affected by ‘No-Go’ areas under the directive.
In its report Eurelectric also rejected attempts by transmission system operators to claim ownership of pumped storage plants, which are useful for balancing power grids. “Any rebundling attempt — as for instance has been the case in Spain or Italy — should be rejected; there is no legal ground or any justification for such a request,” the report said.
“TSOs have to dispatch — they don’t have to compete with generators. It creates distortions in the market when they are both buyers and sellers,” an Italian industry source told Platts.
According to European Commission data there will be an
8-9 TWh overall fall in total hydropower production by 2020, equal to 2.3-2.6% of total hydropower.
This is because of environmental limits required by the EU water framework directive, Oyvind Vessia, policy officer in the renewable unit of the EC’s energy department, told the conference. –Jane Morecroft, newsdesk@platts.com
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/eu-hydropower-only-at-half-of-its-growth-potential/ EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
