Hydropower Plant Installation

Hydropower Basics

• Two critical parameters for creating electricity from hydropower: FLOW (minimum amount of water constantly available throughout the year) and HEAD (difference in height)
• Knowledge of water flow and height difference is necessary to estimate potential power

Types of Hydropower Facilities

• Impoundment: uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir, releasing water to flow through a turbine to generate electricity
• Diversion (Run-of-River): channels a portion of a river through a canal or penstock, may not require a dam
• Pumped Storage: stores energy by pumping water uphill to a reservoir, releasing water back to generate electricity during high demand

Sizes of Hydroelectric Power Plants

• Large Hydropower: facilities with a capacity of more than 30 MW
• Small Hydropower: projects generating 10 MW or less of power
• Micro Hydropower: plants with a capacity of up to 100 kilowatts

Egypt's Hydro Power Plants

• Aswan High Dam: main hydro resource in Egypt, with a capacity of 2,800 MW and annual electric generation of 13,545 GWh
• Hydroelectricity represented 50% of Egypt's total generated electricity in the 1960s and 1970s, but only 7.2% in 2015/16
• Assiut Dam: four hydroelectric plants with a capacity of 32 MW, started commercial operation in 2018
• Attaqa Pumped Storage Power Plant: a planned project by the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity, with a contract signed in 2017

Wind Turbines

• Can be extremely tall to capture abundant wind resources available offshore
• Advantages of offshore wind turbines: minimal visual and acoustic impact, larger areas can be used, and ease of maritime transport

Ecological Impact of Wind Turbines

• Flora and fauna: birds and bats affected by direct impacts and changes in atmospheric pressure, altered habitats
• Noise Mitigation: affects wild and marine life, and fishing resources
• Sea life fishing: affects species diversity and creates artificial reefs around the foundation of the structure