We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. Hydroelectric power may be considered one of the cleanest forms of energy but large dams are often blamed for massive environmental damage.
A project in Honduras shows how things can be done differently. Hydroelectric power is one of the oldest sources of energy. It was once used to power water and saw mills or turn a paddle wheel for grinding grain. Today, the power of moving water is largely used to produce electricity. Hydro power accounts for 15 percent of the world's current electricity generation — more than nuclear energy.
Other renewable sources of energy contribute just four percent. And hydroelectric power is clean. Each megawatt of electricity produced by hydro power prevents the further rise of greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that hydroelectric power alone could satisfy the present world demand for energy. But experts say that's unlikely to happen. Large hydroelectric facilities can often adversely impact ecosystems and land use.
But a project in Honduras shows that it doesn't have to be that way. The "La Esperanza Hydroelectric Facility" in Honduras is widely considered as an example of a successful and sustainable hydro power project. It uses existing hydroelectric structures linked to an old dam, its impact on the surroundings is minimal and the benefits of constant electricity production are apparent in the region. Big hydro dogged by controversy But elsewhere, hydro power's image as a "clean energy" source has taken a beating.
Many big dam projects around the world have turned into ecological, economic and social disasters. The controversial Sardar Sarovar dam in India and the Three Gorges dam in China have become symbols for environmental degradation and violation of human rights rather than for progress. Large dam reservoirs, which destroy floodplain forests, are even more problematic.
Research shows that rotting vegetation in such reservoirs releases significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Despite their damaging reputation, big dams are still being built in India, China and South America. Experts say the debate about the pros and cons of large hydro projects is unthinkable in industrialized countries.
He says the potential for growth in the hydro power sector is centered on new technology. The turbines produce 2, MW and due to the high production capacity, the Aswan High Dam ranks as Africa's second largest. It took eleven years to build and was opened in One of the world's biggest dams is located in Mozambique. The major part of electricity produced is exported to South Africa. But sabotage during the civil war in prevented the generation of electricity for ten years.
In total it produces 1, MW and is, with a height of meters feet , the third largest dam in Africa. Construction began in and was completed in They were commissioned in and respectively as part of a failed industrial development scheme under then-dictator Sese Sekko Mobutu.
The two dams currently operate at a 50 percent capacity because they have not been properly maintained in recent years. The two dams are located in the west of the DRC, kilometers miles southwest of Kinshasa, and is located on the Congo River. One of the top african dams is the Akosombo Dam. It sits at the base of Lake Volta, which has a surface area of 8, square kilometres and is the largest reservoir in the world.
The turbines generate megawatts, but the dam also serves as flood control. The Lake Volta itself is popular for being a way for trade and travel. It was built in just four years and opened in It is 65 meters feet high, meters feet across and generates a total of megawatts.
Africa's seventh biggest dam is the Tekeze Dam in Ethiopia. With a height of meters, it is the highest dam in Africa. However the dam has a productivity of just MW, so it only generates one-twentieth of the hydroenergy produced by its big brother the Grand Renaissance Dam.
It took seven years to build and was opened in The dam has been operating since and is the biggest hydroelectrical dam in Uganda. The construction of two new dams, Karuma und Isimba, could change this but this would mean the resettlement of thousands of farmers and the flooding of protected areas.
Sick of your phone running out of battery? Now you can use a mini water turbine to charge it up! The German design is already in demand from African communities wanting to generate their own hydropower. Again, a Honduran environmental activist was recently murdered - another name on a long list. But only after the death of high-profile activist Berta Caceres has the struggle gained international attention. Visit the new DW website Take a look at the beta version of dw.
Go to the new dw. More info OK. Wrong language? Change it here DW. COM has chosen English as your language setting. COM in 30 languages. Deutsche Welle. Audiotrainer Deutschtrainer Die Bienenretter. The Guri dam in Venezuela during a drought in Living Planet: Brazilian dam threatens indigenous way of life.
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