Impacts of Climate Change and the Need to Define an Efficient Operating Methodology for Nangbéto Dam

Abstract

Climate change is a major threat to industrial development because of its adverse effects on the energy sector, especially hydroelectric power plants. This paper focuses on the analysis of the impact of climate change on the Mono River basin and the implications for the electricity production of Nangbéto Hydroelectric Power Plant. The approach consisted of combining historical hydrological data and physical, technical, and economic information to analyze the extent to which variations in average rainfall and global warming impacted the operation of the Nangbéto Hydroelectric Power plant. Based on the curves obtained, the impacts of climate change on the Mono River and on the operation of the Nangbéto Power Plant were recorded. Also, the management of the Nangbéto dam water retainer by the current operator was analyzed to highlight the strengths relating to the optimization of electricity production and the economic profitability of the plant. Keywords: Climate change, hydropower plant, optimization, hydrological data.