Investing In Hydropower: Sustainable Energy Solutions For Boston – The growth of hydropower plants around the world is expected to slow significantly this decade, putting at risk the ambitions of countries around the world to reach net zero emissions while ensuring a reliable and affordable energy supply for their people. citizens, according to a new report from International Energy. agency

Hydropower today plays a key role in the clean energy transition not only through the huge amounts of low-carbon electricity it produces, but also because of its unmatched capabilities to provide flexibility and storage. Many hydroelectric plants can ramp up and down their electricity generation very quickly compared to other plants such as nuclear, coal, and natural gas. This makes sustainable hydropower an attractive basis for integrating larger amounts of wind and solar power, the output of which can vary depending on factors such as climate and the time of day or year.

Investing In Hydropower: Sustainable Energy Solutions For Boston

Global hydropower capacity is expected to increase by 17% between 2021 and 2030, led by China, India, Turkey and Ethiopia, according to the Hydropower Market Special Report, part of the

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Series of market reports. However, the growth projected for the 2020s is almost 25% slower than the expansion of hydropower in the previous decade.

Reversing the expected slowdown will require a series of strong policy actions by governments to address key challenges that are hindering faster deployment of hydropower, the report said. These measures include providing long-term revenue visibility to ensure that hydropower projects are economically viable and sufficiently attractive to investors, while ensuring strong sustainability standards.

In 2020, hydropower provided one-sixth of the world’s electricity generation, making it the largest source of low-carbon energy, and more than all other renewables combined. Its production has increased by 70% over the past two decades, but its share of the global electricity supply has remained constant due to the rise of wind power, solar PV, natural gas and coal. However, hydropower currently meets most of the electricity demand in 28 different emerging and developing economies, which have a total population of 800 million.

“Hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean electricity, and it needs to be put back on the energy and climate agenda if countries are serious about meeting their net zero goals,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director. “It brings valuable scale and flexibility to help power systems adjust quickly to changes in demand and to offset fluctuations in supply from other sources. The advantages of hydropower can make it a natural enabler of safe transitions in many countries as they move to an ever-increasing proportion of solar and wind power, as long as hydropower projects are developed in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner.

Managing Financial Risks From Hydropower

The special report is the first study to provide detailed global forecasts to 2030 for the three main types of hydropower: dams, run-of-river and pumped storage facilities. Around half of the economically viable potential of hydropower worldwide is untapped, and this potential is particularly high in emerging and developing economies, where it reaches almost 60%.

Based on today’s political setup, China will remain the largest hydropower market until 2030, accounting for 40% of global expansion, followed by India. However, China’s share of global hydropower installations has been declining due to declining availability of economically attractive sites and growing concerns about social and environmental impacts.

Between now and 2030, $127 billion (or nearly a quarter of global investment in hydropower) will go toward modernizing aging plants, mostly in advanced economies. This is especially the case in North America, where the average age of a hydroelectric plant is almost 50 years, and in Europe, where it is 45 years. Still, the projected investment is well below the $300 billion the report estimates is needed to modernize all aging hydroelectric plants worldwide.

While hydropower remains economically attractive in many regions of the world, the report highlights a number of major challenges it faces. New hydro projects often face long lead times, lengthy permitting processes, high costs and risks from environmental assessments and opposition from local communities. These pressures result in higher investment risks and financing costs compared to other energy generation and storage technologies, discouraging investment.

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The report sets out seven key priorities for governments seeking to accelerate the deployment of hydropower in a sustainable manner. These include locking in long-term pricing structures and ensuring that hydropower projects adhere to strict guidelines and best practices. This type of approach can minimize sustainability risks and maximize social, economic and environmental advantages.

If governments adequately address obstacles to faster deployment, global hydro capacity additions could be 40% higher by 2030 by unlocking existing project pipelines, according to the accelerated case presented in the report. But to put the world on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050, as set out in the recent Global Roadmap to Net-Zero by 2050, governments would need to increase their hydropower ambitions dramatically. In fact, global hydropower capacity should grow twice as fast through 2030 than it is expected to do in the report’s main forecast. Achieving this would require a much stronger and more comprehensive political approach.

The “forgotten giant” of low-carbon electricity needs a comprehensive policy and investment boost to bring it in line with net-zero targets and to support a faster expansion of solar and wind power, a special report says.

The “forgotten giant” of low-carbon electricity needs a broad policy and investment boost to bring it in line with net-zero targets and support a faster expansion of solar and wind power, a special report says.

Green Electricity From Hydropower

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Can Hydropower Be Part Of A Clean Energy Future?

Thank you for subscribing. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of any newsletter. Natel Energy, founded by MIT alumni brothers, is deploying hydroelectric systems with fish-safe turbines and other features that mimic natural river conditions.

Caption: Natel Energy, founded by brothers of MIT alumni, is deploying hydroelectric systems with fish-safe turbines and other sustainable features to advance the industry.

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Natel Energy, founded by brothers of MIT alumni, is deploying hydroelectric systems with fish-safe turbines and other sustainable features to advance the industry.

Hydropower In Italy

Growing up on a farm in Texas, there was always something to do for siblings Gia Schneider ’99 and Abe Schneider ’02, SM ’03. But every Saturday at 2 p.m., no matter what, the family went down to a local creek to fish, build dams and rope swings, and enjoy nature.

Eventually, the family began going to a remote river in Colorado every summer. The river bifurcates in two; one side was managed by ranchers who destroyed natural features such as beaver dams, while the other side remained untouched. The family noticed that the fishing was better on the preserved side, prompting Abe to try to measure the health of the two river ecosystems. In high school, he co-authored a study showing that there were more beneficial insects in the riverbed with beaver prey.

The experience taught both brothers a lesson that stuck with them. Today they are the co-founders of Natel Energy, a company that tries to mimic natural river ecosystems with hydroelectric systems that are more sustainable than conventional hydroelectric plants.

“The main takeaway for us, and what we’ve been doing all this time, is thinking about ways that infrastructure can help increase the health of our environment, and beaver dams are a good example of infrastructure that wouldn’t be there otherwise. there. supports other animal populations,” says Abe. “It’s a motivator for the idea that hydropower can help improve the environment rather than destroy the environment.”

Hydropower Is Key To A Clean Energy Future—here’s Why

Through new fish-safe turbines and other features designed to mimic natural river conditions, the founders say their plants can bridge the gap between power plant efficiency and environmental sustainability. By modernizing existing hydroelectric plants and developing new projects, the founders believe they can supercharge a hydroelectric industry that is by far the world’s largest source of renewable electricity, but which has not grown as much in power generation as wind and solar in the last years.

“Hydroelectric plants today are built with only power production in mind, as opposed to the idea that if we want to unlock growth, we have to address both the efficiency and the sustainability of the river,” says Gia.

Natel’s origins did not come from a single event but from a lifetime of events. abe

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