Hydropower Projects Research Articles

ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ И СОЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ РАЗВИТИЯ ГИДРОЭНЕРГЕТИКИ НА ВОСТОЧНО-ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЙ РАВНИНЕ В ПЕРВОЙ ТРЕТИ XX В.

The article analyses the negative environmental and social consequences of hydropower development in the first third of the 20th century. The author examines the changes in the assessment of damage caused by hydraulic engineering works between the 1890s and 1930s. The study aims to answer the following questions. How did the state, society, and science interpret the concepts of ‘damage’ and ‘harm’ caused by large-scale transformations of landscapes? How did these interpretations and understanding of damage from flooding of territories change during the first third of the 20th century? The study focuses on the government policy regarding hydropower development on the East European Plain, one of the oldest developed regions of the country. It also considers the activities of research institutes studying the impact of water reservoirs on the environment, as well as the population’s attitude towards the flooding of territories and resettlement policy. The study’s results indicate that expert, scientifically based assessments of the impact of water reservoirs on the environment and the planned economy are crucial in matters of hydropower development and resettlement policy. In the 1920s and 1930s, the scientific community was first confronted with the challenges posed by the overgrowth and siltation of reservoirs, changes in floodplain ecosystems, and other issues. Due to the increasing scale of hydroelectric power stations construction and the need to preserve agricultural land and forests, measures were developed during this period to minimize the negative consequences of flooding and inundation of areas. In implementing hydropower projects, the government authorities focused primarily on economic considerations. However, the long-term environmental and social consequences of this construction continue to affect society today.

An integrated approach of machine learning and remote sensing for evaluating landslide hazards and risk hotspots, NW Himalaya

Landslides have become more frequent in the last decade in the NW Himalayan region, threatening people and damaging infrastructure. The study presented here aims to identify landslide hazards and risk hotspots in the NW Himalaya. The area is strategically important due the many holy pilgrimage sites and major hydropower projects. A Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) was used to generate the landslide susceptibility map, which was combined with the rainfall intensity map to create the hazard map. To determine the spatial landslide vulnerability, land use and land cover components were taken into account with their respective monetary values. The landslide risk map is the combination of landslide hazard and vulnerability maps, showing that ∼5% of the area falls in high and very high-risk zones, ∼6% in moderate, ∼47% in low, and ∼42% in very low landslide risk zones. High to very high landslide risk zones are mainly confined to Uttarkashi and its surroundings in the southwestern part of the study area, as well as the Tehri, Karanprayag, and Pithoragarh regions in the southern area. Societal risk was also analyzed and revealed that ∼53% of the human population resides in high to very high landslide risk-prone areas. The findings of this study will be beneficial for promoting sustainable development and safe urbanization in the Himalayan region, if used for planning.

Stability Analysis of Surface and Subsurface Geological Hazards Using Numerical Approach in Hydropower Project of India- a Case Study

Stability Analysis of Surface and Subsurface Geological Hazards Using Numerical Approach in Hydropower Project of India- a Case Study

Influence of safety culture on Chinese oversea hydropower project workers safety performance: a case study in Cameroon

Influence of safety culture on Chinese oversea hydropower project workers safety performance: a case study in Cameroon

Influence of safety culture on Chinese overseas hydropower project workers' safety performance: a case study in Cameroon

Influence of safety culture on Chinese overseas hydropower project workers' safety performance: a case study in Cameroon

Evaluation of Nepali Aggregates for Alkali-silica Reactivity Using Accelerated Mortar Bar Test Method

In many countries, large concrete structures needed to be replaced by new structures because treatment of Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) was not feasible. Availability of amorphous or poorly crystalline silica is a necessary condition for ASR and it has been a common problem in several countries located in cold geographical regions. Some Nepali rocks also comprise amorphous silica as detected in Sanjen Hydropower Project (SHP) and Tanahu Hydropower Project (THP) during the examination of aggregate through various tests. ASR kinetics and the resulting expansion are observed to be enhanced with an increase in temperature and humidity. Accordingly, the risk of ASR is expected to be prominent in Nepal where temperature and humidity are relatively high. However, systematic research on ASR in Nepal is scarce and the possibility of ASR is little known. This paper determines the reactivity of potential aggregate sources considered for some large infrastructures in Nepal. Accelerated mortar bar test based on the guidelines of ASTM C1260 was performed on aggregate specimens collected from the Pokhara Regional International Airport Project (PRIAP), THP, and SHP. 14-day longitudinal expansion of the mortar bar prepared from the aggregated collected from PRIAP, THP, and SHP was 0.1%, 0.17%, and 0.06% respectively. The aggregate collected from THP is deleterious, whereas aggregate collected from PRIAP and SHP is non-reactive. This study demonstrates that Nepal may have many sources of aggregates that are reactive.

Precast and Prestressed Concrete for the Future Construction of Sudurpaschim

Concrete is the second most consumed material in the earth after water. While concrete has been used for more than 2000 years, widespread use of precast elements has emerged as the latest concrete technology for quality of construction. Precast concrete follows modular construction approach which is sometimes classified as one of the top ten construction innovations. The widespread application of precast concrete was augmented by the invention of prestressed concrete as a revolutionary technology in concrete. This study provides an overview of the use of precast and prestressed concrete technology in Nepal. It highlights the benefits of concrete for national economy by utilizing domestic resources and in realizing sustainable development through durable construction. Recent applications of precast and prestressed concrete in Nepal are highlighted, with examples from various structures including building, river training, and slope stability, hydropower and tunnel projects. The challenging aspects of precast and prestressed construction are also illustrated with examples. Research and development of precast and prestressed concrete products in Nepal are highlighted by presenting the initiatives from experimental studies and academic research. Even though Nepal is in the early stage of application of precast and prestressed concrete technology, the initial applications indicate huge potential and great benefits of application of such products for the faster, cost-effective and durable construction in various parts of Nepal.

GREED

Humans have been exploiting glaciers through unsustainable practices like overextraction, hydropower projects, reckless tourism, and mining, driven by their greed for water, power, and profit. Rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity, and water scarcity are all consequences of this avarice threatening glaciers and their ecosystems. Stricter laws, community involvement, ethical travel, and investments in renewable energy are needed to counteract this in order to preserve these natural treasures and secure a sustainable future. By recognising the perils of greed and taking proactive steps to address its role in exploitation of nature and its resources such as glaciers, we can protect these magnificent natural wonders and ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations. Thus, it is imperative for us to understand that glaciers are not just frozen rivers, but they are vital components of our planet's ecosystems, and their preservation is intricately connected to our own existence.

Structural stability analysis of proposed Budhi Gandaki dam and optimization

High-rise arch dams are frequently employed in the construction of large storage-type hydropower projects due to their cost-effectiveness. This study presents the comparison in stress and deformation behavior of concrete dam and concrete face rock-fill dam under worst combination of loads. For illustrative purpose, the proposed double curvature arch dam of Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project is chosen with some modifications. This study proposed the 3-D finite element method (FEM) for stress and deformation analysis of dam considering material non-linearity between concrete and rock-fill material following Drucker-Prager yield criteria. The proposed methodology is implemented through ANSYS 2021. The hydrodynamic pressure of reservoir water is modeled as added mass using Westergaard approach. The compressive and tensile stress developed in both types of dams are investigated and analyzed for different load combinations. The force acting at base of dam and deformation at crest level is also investigated. The results for both types of dam are found to be comparable which suggests that the wasteful volume of concrete can be replaced by consolidated soil (rock-fill) to decrease the overall construction cost of project.

Violent transitions: towards a political ecology of coal and hydropower in India

ABSTRACT The concept of just transition is often defined as a process of including particular kinds of fossil fuel workers in the transition towards low-carbon energy. Missing from such liberal framings of just transitions is an engagement with how the extraction of both fossil fuels and low-carbon energy is contingent upon state violence and the expropriation of Indigenous and frontline communities’ lands. In contrast to liberal framings of just transition that focus on the inclusion of fossil fuel workers as stakeholders, this article calls for an investigation of ‘violent transitions’, which refers to the ways in which the expansion of fossil fuel and low-carbon energy infrastructures are predicated upon direct state-sanctioned violence – including the criminalization of dissent, protests, and mass mobilization through police violence and arrests – to facilitate processes of land expropriation. Drawing upon a comparative analysis of 121 coal and hydropower projects in India, the article argues that both coal and hydropower energy transitions are characterized by significant state-sanctioned violence. Such historical injustices must be redressed and repaired in India’s emergent just transition policy frameworks.

Multi-effect equilibrium analysis for sector-level direct/indirect socio-economic and environmental effects of large-scale hydropower initiatives: A case study for the world's 7th-largest hydropower project

An increasing number of large-scale hydropower projects (LHPs) are constructed in various countries to combat climate change. Besides hydropower generation, LHPs could also contribute to water supply, irrigation, navigation, flood control, and other comprehensive benefits. Thus, it is essential to quantitatively analyze the overall and sub-functional benefits of LHPs in their operational phase. In this study, a multi-effect LHP equilibrium analysis model has been proposed and applied to the Wudongde Hydropower Station (WDD) to investigate its sector-level direct/indirect socio-economic and environmental (SEE) effects. The results indicate that WDD's operation greatly promotes the regional socio-economic growth and facilitates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. The increased value of indirect gross domestic product (GDP) is equivalent to 0.027% of the total GDP of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in 2021, and the annual decreased amount of indirect GHG emissions is about 260.8 million tonnes. The results shed light on the contributions of different sub-functions of LHP to SEE indicators, which plays a pivotal role for decision-makers in formulating LHP-related operational planning and GHG emission reduction policies. Moreover, the modeling framework can be extended to assess the SEE effects of other LHPs around the world.

Enhanced glacial lake activity threatens numerous communities and infrastructure in the Third Pole

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are among the most severe cryospheric hazards in the Third Pole, encompassing the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Tianshan Mountains. Recent studies on glacial lake changes and GLOF characteristics and risks in this region have shown scattered and insufficiently detailed features. Here, we conduct an appraisal of the GLOF risks by combining high-resolution satellite images, case-by-case high-precision GLOF modeling, and detailed downstream exposure data. The glacial lake changes from 2018 to 2022 in the region were primarily driven by the accelerated expansion of proglacial lakes. The GLOF frequency has exhibited a significant increasing trend since 1980, with intensified activity in Southeastern Tibet and the China-Nepal border area over the past decade. Approximately 6,353 km2 of land could be at risk from potential GLOFs, posing threats to 55,808 buildings, 105 hydropower projects, 194 km2 of farmland, 5,005 km of roads, and 4,038 bridges. This study directly responds to the need for local disaster prevention and mitigation strategies, highlighting the urgent requirement of reducing GLOF threats in the Third Pole and the importance of regional cooperation.

China's Belt & Road Initiative hydropower cooperation: what can be improved?

China's international hydropower projects have been streamlined as a major focus of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). These hydropower projects have shown many positive outcomes in promoting the energy infrastructure and local economic development in BRI countries. However, insufficient attention is given to scrutinizing the limitations of Belt and Road hydropower collaboration, hindering the potential for amplifying its beneficial impacts. This study reveals the tendency and distinctiveness of China's development finance, contributing to providing a clearer picture of where and how the massive BRI hydropower cooperation is taking place and what might be the limitations. Our analysis shows that a) China's development finance for the BRI power cooperation was heavily concentrated on the hydropower sector compared to other energy alternatives, thereby creating a promising renewable energy development of BRI. b) BRI hydropower projects are dominated by large dams in specific regions, and c) the predominance of large dams and the geographic concentration should be gradually adjusted to bring BRI hydropower cooperation more social and environmental progress.

Comparison of Tunnel Construction Cycle with NTNU Model for the Headrace Tunnel of Seti Khola Hydropower Project

Achieving smooth and efficient blasting of tunnel walls is a challenging task. Tunneling performance and advancement can best be performed with proper and effective blasting techniques in drill and blast techniques. In this manuscript, the Seti Khola hydropower project's headrace tunnel's real-time statistics are used to compare the overall performance of tunnel excavation for the widely used blasting approach. The headrace tunnel's 663 meters of observed and recorded length comprises rocks with weak to medium blastibility. According to the Q-system, this tunnel section's rock mass quality class ranges from good to bad. The rock type found has a monotonous sequence of metasandstone and phyllite with quartz partings and discontinuities filled with clay to silt. A variation in the excavation cycle is observed in relation to the presence of different rock mass classes. Ultimately, the NTNU model is compared and analysis is done on the drilling patterns and cycles of tunnel building. It was discovered that using the NTNU model for tunnel excavation presents a significant opportunity to enhance performance.

Review on Aquatic Weeds and Their Management

When aquatic weeds grow too much, they pose a threat to fish farming. An essential component of pond management is weed control. Out of approximately 160 aquatic weeds, the primary focus in India revolves around Eichhornia crrassipes, Ipomoea aquatica, Typha angustata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Salvinia molesta, Nelumbo nucifera, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria spiralis, Chara spp., Nitelia spp., and Potamogeton spp. Aquatic weeds are rapidly expanding in several irrigation and hydropower projects across the nation, including the Kakki and Idikki reservoirs in Kerala, the Tungabhadra project in Karnataka, the Nagarjuna Sagar project in Andhra Pradesh and the Powai Lake in Maharashtra. Biological, chemical, and physical strategies can all be used to control aquatic weeds. Aquatic weeds can be stopped from spreading or eliminated using a few common control methods. Physical remedies work best for small-scale infestations, but they are expensive and prone to regrowth when used on big water bodies. Herbicide control of tiny infestations has frequently been quite successful, but it significantly depends on trained operators who keep a close eye out for the appearance of regrowth or seedlings over a lengthy period. The amount of nutrients released into water in recent decades has significantly increased from home and industrial sources as well as from land where fertilizers are applied or where clearing has increased run off. This essay examines the problems associated with eight aquatic weeds in India and the efforts made so far to control them through a range of techniques.

Tunnels as Temples of 'New Green India': Dominant Narratives of Himalayan Dam Building

The dramatic unfolding of the Joshimath crisis in Uttarakhand, India, has brought the world’s attention once again to the Himalaya. The contribution of a 520-megawatt hydropower dam to land subsidence is squarely in the spotlight. River valleys with bumper-to-bumper hydropower dam building, especially in the North Western Himalaya, in the past decade and a half or so, have witnessed frequent slope de-stabilisation, landslides and seepages. Unlike the visible dispossession of rural—often adivasi and dalit— populations in reservoir based dam affected areas, even establishing and ‘scientifically’ correlating cascading hazards with human impacts of the ‘invisible’ activity of run-of-the-river dams in the relatively sparsely populated regions of the Himalaya, has been an uphill battle for impacted mountain people. This article examines the conflict around hydropower development in Himachal Pradesh to understand the trajectory of State policy, dominant narratives and responses of affected communities. Tracing the history of such contestation in the 180 MW Bajoli Holi hydropower project in Chamba’s tribal belt Bharmour, we illustrate the complicity of project proponents, regulatory institutions, political actors, scientists and the judiciary in transferring the project’s risks to local inhabitants and the environment. The burden of building fresh evidence, staking claims and posing counter-narratives lies unfairly with the dispossessed as they struggle for safety and survival.

Gender impact assessment of land acquisition compensation for sustainable environmental management of Wuxikou Hydropower Projects

Reservoir compensation and resettlement are the two important keys for enforced migration for water conservancy projects. For reservoir migrants in China, the most severe loss of inundation is that of land, so land rights are the most critical in land acquisition compensation (LAC). In this study, based on the field survey of Wuxikou reservoir migrants in China, a social relations approach is adopted to analyze the gender gaps in the three dimensions of rules, resources and power in LAC. Besides, the study discusses the causes of gender gaps in LAC of reservoir migrants, both external and internal. External causes include the absence of a gender perspective in land systems design and migration policies, the insufficient implementation of related compensation policies, etc. Similarly, internal causes include a deviation of village rules and customary laws from policies, the patriarchal gender culture of “son preference”, and the marital mobility of virilocal residence. Studies find that gender gaps exist in related local policies and laws, as well as their enforcement. Besides, migrant women lacked participation in rule-making. The distribution of compensation resources was skewed towards men, while migrant women had de facto difficulties in accessing financial compensation, productive lands, and living sites. However, migrant men had more power in the leadership of village affairs, expression in village meetings, and decision-making in family affairs than migrant women. The findings of the study reveal that to bridge the gender gaps of reservoir migrants' rights and socio-economic benefits, governments or development enterprises should reasonably build up an equal gender environment and empower migrant women, which will help to achieve the sustainable development of water projects in China.

Role of Domestic Banking and Financial Institutions in Project Finance: Insights from Hydropower Sector in Nepal

Hydropower is a low carbon renewable energy alternative for replacing carbon emission energy sources. In Nepal, this infrastructure sector is being developed for fulfilling the internal demand of electricity. Previous studies emphasized public-private partnership (PPP) utilizing project finance (PF) model in infrastructure sector. Recognizing the importance of domestic banking and financial institutions (BFIs) in project finance this study delves into factors significantly affecting the role of BFIs in project finance. Cross-sectional survey utilizing questionnaires was conducted among respondents representing the independent power producers (IPPs) and BFIs in Nepal. Regression analysis showed predictor variables like economic environment, guidelines of the central bank and low default rate have significant impact on project finance. issues related to adequate legal provision for non-recourse financingrole of BFIs for project finance arrangement. Credibility of hydropower project sponsors is an important determinant in financing hydropower project. The availability of comparatively more bankable projects in other investment sectors against the investible fund constraints resulted in limited complete project finance arrangement of hydropower projects. Detail investigation on guarantees to the lenders against the project loan and improvements needed in legal frameworks to accommodate the non-recourse finance and making economic and legal environment friendlier to private sector is the limitation of this study left for future researches.

Sediment deposition within cascade reservoirs: a case study of Baihetan Reservoir in the lower Jinshajiang River, China

Sediment deposition in cascade reservoirs is not only related to the utilization efficiency of the reservoir itself but also to the boundary conditions for the operation of other reservoirs in the same group. The Baihetan Reservoir is the largest hydropower project with the highest unit capacity in the world, and it is necessary to consider sediment deposition within it, as this affects the comprehensive operation of cascade reservoirs in the lower Jinshajiang River. In this study, the input water, sediment, and deposition characteristics were analyzed based on both field hydrological and topographic data of the Baihetan Reservoir during its initial impoundment period. The results showed that water entering Baihetan Reservoir was mainly derived from the upper main stream, and approximately 41% was concentrated in the third quarter. Ten times the amount of sediment derived from the main stream was received from tributaries and uncontrolled areas of the reservoir, and these are the main sediment input sources. The fluctuating backwater area influenced by the upstream Wudongde Reservoir was slightly eroded, and siltation mainly occurred in the dead storage capacity (below 765 m) of the main stream and tributary estuaries in the perennial backwater area; approximately 15.8 times that in the regulating storage capacity (between 765 and 785 m). The differences between the results of this study and those from the reservoir demonstration stage indicate that was a lack of understanding about how climate change, human activities, and uncontrolled areas would affect siltation patterns. In future projects, research focusing on climate trend analyses and the comprehensive consideration of human activities should be combined with extensive sediment production monitoring and model parameter calibration.

Evaluation of design approaches of desilting basins for hydroelectric projects in Himalayan region

ABSTRACT The present paper aims to evaluate the empirical as well as analytical approaches normally adopted for the computation of desilting efficiency of pressure type desilting basin used in hydroelectric project (H.E.P) constructed in Himalayan regions. Due to limited availability of space and steep topography, pressure type desilting basins are mostly preferred. Four significant projects in the Himalayan region are chosen for the performance analysis of desilting chamber: Kholongchhu H.E.P, Mangdechhu H.E.P, Teesta Stage-IV H.E.P, and Punatsangchhu Stage-II. Theoretical efficiency (function of shear velocity (µ*) and mixing coefficient (ℇ)) of all the four projects were computed by existing as well as modified formulae as suggested by Camp-Dobbin (1946) and Sinha and Singh (2019), respectively. It is concluded that particle removal efficiency obtained from model studies for these four hydropower projects and that computed by Camp-Dobbin’s approach (1946) are in close agreement. The outcome of this paper suggests that out of six commonly used approaches, the approach recommended by Camp-Dobbin (1946) is most suitable methodology to design the desilting basin in Himalayan region. It is envisaged that the present study will enable the designer to select a most appropriate approach to design an efficient and suitable desilting basin for construction in Himalayan region.