Abstract
Hydropower electricity generation is considered one of the cheapest technologies regarding electricity generation costs, and it is the most traditional, clean, renewable energy source. However, despite the environmental benefits offered by hydropower, they also can have negative impacts and consequences in the environment affecting water quality and disrupting river ecology. We investigated the environmental effects of four small hydropower plants (SPH) in north-west Spain by looking at the water quality of the four river stretches where the SPH plants are located. The physicochemical and biological characteristics of the water streams were analyzed, as well as the riparian ecological quality. Results showed that the presence of the hydropower plants did not significantly influence the physical and chemical characteristics of the water. There were no alterations of the benthic macroinvertebrate community at any of the plants except for one, and the riparian habitat was in general classified as good quality or close to natural conditions for all plants.
Highlights
Between 2010 and 2040 energy demand is expected to increase by 56% worldwide [1], oil demand which is estimated to increase in countries, such as Brazil, China and India [2]
More than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) are released into the atmosphere [6], and around 65% of the world’s excess mortality—The number of deaths caused by a specific condition or exposure to harmful circumstances is directly associated with fossil fuel-related emissions [5]
The Kruskal-Wallis tests show no significant differences for the physicochemical parameters of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and conductivity between sampling points and years for any of the four plants, except for the temperature at the Touro plant (Table 1)
Summary
Between 2010 and 2040 energy demand is expected to increase by 56% worldwide [1], oil demand which is estimated to increase in countries, such as Brazil, China and India [2]. This is mainly due to the world’s population unprecedented growth rate. More than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) are released into the atmosphere [6], and around 65% of the world’s excess mortality—The number of deaths caused by a specific condition or exposure to harmful circumstances is directly associated with fossil fuel-related emissions [5]. According to The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health [7], 9 million premature deaths were associated with pollution in 2015, representing 16% of all deaths worldwide
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