Technical-Economic Assessment of Small Hydro-Power Units

Abstract

Renewable energy is actively developing in the world. In Russia, the potential of renewable energy sources is also very large. But the use of this potential is rather small because of the widespread opinion about the complexity and a high cost of the implementation of such projects. The article presents the results of the research into the gross and technical potential of the small hydropower industry in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. The authors proposed a technique based on the statistical analysis of flow characteristics, which makes it possible to identify the regions that are homogeneous in statistical terms and to combine individual samples of observations on small rivers into one analyzed set. A map-scheme of the hydropower zoning of the Chelyabinsk Oblast is presented. The hydropower potential of the pressure hydropower facilities of the Chelyabinsk Oblast has been determined. Two options for the reconstruction of the HPP on the Bolshaya Satka river are proposed: the first option is the reservoired HPP, attached to the existing pressure waterworks facility at the river outlet from Zyuratkul Lake; The second option is the reconstruction of a previously existing diversion HPP downstream. The economic evaluation of the effectiveness of these projects is given based on the indicators of investment analysis and the levelized cost of electricity. The possibility of realizing effective small HPPs with a capacity from 5 to 25 MW in the Chelyabinsk Oblast is substantiated.