Archive for April 2018

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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Non renewable energy sources including fossil fuel,
nuclear energy and coal have been used to generate electricity around the
world. Depletion of non-renewable energy sources, environmental pollution
associated with fossil fuel burning and disposal of nuclear waste, energy
crisis and increasing demand are recognized as arising problems associated with
the energy generation from non-renewable energy sources. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Recently mini hydropower plants are being promoted
as renewable energy. Hydropower projects below 10 MW capacity are defined as
mini hydropower projects. The hydropower generated within the mini hydropower
plants can be used in two different way. Generated hydropower plant can be sold
to national grid. The generated hydropower can be distributed to use within the
local area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIlBDS1ZakfskslhLaxxKl2ZGCJyb9orzsN2DEj6ewOcICvEi73QI9I8Y8IYkm2UWyhr9Db8nxYjuLQ__BsfglneCY5lsWIK6mi6WHAG-QmNQDdB1ei2gSF7BKy87BXnPUDs-OXYaJiUS/s1600/image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="988" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIlBDS1ZakfskslhLaxxKl2ZGCJyb9orzsN2DEj6ewOcICvEi73QI9I8Y8IYkm2UWyhr9Db8nxYjuLQ__BsfglneCY5lsWIK6mi6WHAG-QmNQDdB1ei2gSF7BKy87BXnPUDs-OXYaJiUS/s640/image1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although hydropower is often marketed as green
energy, there are still social and environmental impacts which usually varies
with the size of the power plant. Impacts associated with mini hydropower
plants are mostly restricted to local environment and public attention dose not
drawn towards these impacts. Further, such impacts could vary with the locations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impacts associated with mini hydropower plants<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">      </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mini hydropower plants effects the environment at
different stages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Impact on air at project zone</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
- Heavy vehicles used for excavation and material transporting such as tractors
and loaders emits polluted air due to fuel combustion during the construction
phase of MHP (Cara et al. 2010). Dust is also emitted through the unloading
sand, cement and explosive material. Further, emissions from chemicals such as
paints, fuel and lubricants available at the site affect negatively to the
sensitive biodiversity around the project (Gvakharia 2010).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Impact due
to noise</b> - Project noise can affect during both construction and operation
phases. Concrete vibrators, diesel motors, trash rack cleaner, the trash
conveyor, heavy vehicles and explosions generators disturbing noise at the
construction phase while turbines, the gearbox, the turbine, the transformer,
the hydroelectric unit and the speed increaser can generate continuous noise in
the operation phase of hydropower plants (Cara et al 2010). Noise generated
from construction effects temporary on forest fauna. It may scare birds,
reptiles and other animals. Fauna near to the power plant are effected by the
noise generated from turbines throughout the operation stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Impact to the riverine environment –Water storage or
diverting flow in the upstream of a stream effects proceeding the downstream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Trees damaging earth structure as well as vegetation
in upper catchment area have to be removed to provide easy access construction
of infrastructure for mini hydropower plant. Those deforestation activities
negatively affect the sensitive aquatic structure of the area, destroy the food
and habitats of animals, disturb the food chain and cause soil erosion, remove top
soil, finally leads to slope instability in the impact area. Water sources dry
up due to deforesting and affect the domestic water supplies of the area. Felling
economic crops and trees with timber value affects the economy of the society
of the particular area (Thoradeniya et al. 2007). The topography of the area is
changed by the constructing concrete structure and felling trees. Those topographic
changes can decrease the esthetic beauty and land value of the area. Such
deteriorations in catchment increase the soil erosion potential of channel beds
and banks and ultimately leads to landslide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Explosive materials have to be used for explosion of
rocky substrates during constructions phase of the mini hydropower plants. Those
explosions effect health and safety of employees and neighbors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It the hydropower generation is involved with the
upstream areas of main rivers, it affects the water body all over the country. Water
diversions for power generation causes either complete eliminating or
significant reduction of downstream flow during dry season. It increases the
risk of salt intrusion towards the fresh water rivers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This flow
variation with time negatively effects the structure of aquatic ecosystem
structure and fishing migration in between intake and outlet of the power plant.
Allocation of water from stream for hydropower plant generation leads to water
shortages for other water users including irrigation, agriculture and other traditional
usage of the stream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Chemicals used in construction and operation stages cause
sudden leakage or spills and mix with stream. It reduces water quality and affects
the whole biodiversity of the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Construction
activities of mini hydropower plants leads to heavy sedimentation at the
reservoir base. It reduces the capacity of the catchment bed. Thereby it
increases the potential of flood during heavy rains. Deposition of sediment on
the breeding ground effects the reproduction of the aquatic animals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Birds and other human activities are obstructed by transmission
lines through sensitive ecosystem. It causes bird strikes and electrocutions.
Further, health and safety issues like cancer and headache for human are also
caused by high voltage transmission lines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Storage of water in a same place for long time
provide ideal breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Thereby it indirectly increases
the transmission of vector borne disease to surrounding areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Water shortage of stream results in declined
landscape values and tourism activities and cause disturbance to other leisure
activities related to the stream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The construction of dam across stream disturb the migrations
of fish species for different needs including reproduction and searching of food.
These movements are always essential to ensure the fish survival. One of best example
is the migration of eel that, after growing in the river, moves into sea across
the downstream in order to reproduce. It also separates the populations of
aquatic organisms. Continuous rotation of turbine kill or injures the fishes
which pass through it. Thereby mini hydropower reduce the population density of
aquatic animals and decline the biodiversity of the aquatic body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: .4pt; line-height: 107%;">Mini hydropower
plants are not totally emission free. Small run-of-the-river plants will
typically emit between 0.01 and 0.03 pounds of CO2 per kWh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Migratory measures:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the
best methods to evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental impacts linked
with mini hydropower throughout the to the project life cycle before the
construction of them and suggests the most suitable mitigation measures. Cost
benefit analysis can be carried out to select the best place for construction
of mini hydropower including the environmental impacts as cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Careful design and rational operation can mitigate
these effects effectively and enhance the integration of the plant within the
natural environment in which it is built as following.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A minimum flow must be released for hydro power
generation in order to maintain adequate environmental flow to preserve the
hydrological continuity of the river and the conserve the natural habitat and
ecological life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The impacts of noise can be unacceptable when the
mini hydropower plant is located near to houses or in a sensitive natural area.
Small tolerances in gear manufacturing, application of sound insulating
blankets over the turbine casing, use of water cooling instead of air cooling
of the generator and acoustic insulation of the building can be taken to
minimize the noise around the mini hydropower plants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hydraulic
wheels with a fixed barrage inside of them can be installed rather than
conventional turbine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rotation
velocity of the vanes is 10 times slower than the conventional ones. So Fish
can go through the turbines without any damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The construction of fish ladder, dissipate the
energy providing a low-velocity flow through which the fish can easily ascend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS74plkvvnlqirNpqze3h5MHvGxVahiirilbWDxIJWdlpn-bFz-Iv6fzkGP7B3E7ITBMK2DOe0CklcBgBtAxhbeR6xCAo2Font0e4r17j9B-LfPUrz-jmEEi43wWR4QkGCrLMRM4FPMSt/s1600/image2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS74plkvvnlqirNpqze3h5MHvGxVahiirilbWDxIJWdlpn-bFz-Iv6fzkGP7B3E7ITBMK2DOe0CklcBgBtAxhbeR6xCAo2Font0e4r17j9B-LfPUrz-jmEEi43wWR4QkGCrLMRM4FPMSt/s320/image2.png" width="241" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The mini hydro power plants can be constructed with
minimum damage to the catchment vegetation. Trees can be grown around the
catchment of existing plants to enhance the esthetic value of the environment,
preserve the biodiversity and trap the water during heavy rainfall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Timber and stone wall or brush mattress can be
applied to protect the stream bank from the erosion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The power house can be constructed by using natural
features including use of local stones, ground, and vegetation for the building
and, non-contrasting colors and textures for painting to reduce contrast with
the background to minimize visual impact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Small-scale weirs can be built to trap the sands and
the particles and later it can be manually removed. The accumulation of
sediment can be reduced through the mechanically removing the sediments by
periodic dredging (Bergkamp et al., 2000). Sediments can be removed through
periodic flushing of the reservoir by releasing large volumes of water through
outlets in the dam. In the case of run of rivers, flow diversion is helped to
reduce the sedimentation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The renewable energy label can be given for both of
new and existing hydropower plants. Highest standard can be only achieved by following
the strict environmental conditions including improving environmental flows,
sediment flushing, fish ladders and protective measures for wetland. In
addition to those protective measures, operators have to allocate a part of
their income for environmental improvement measures, including habitat restoration
and rehabilitation. Consumers can choose to purchase ‘green’ electricity at a higher
price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Effects of Mini Hydropower Plant and Their Solutions

Introduction: Non renewable energy sources including fossil fuel, nuclear energy and coal have been used to generate electricity around the world. Depletion of non-renewable energy sources, environme…

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Effects of Mini Hydropower Plant and Their Solutions

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