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Dr Liam Herringshawlgh865@hotmail.com

Earth's Energy Systems

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Hydroelectric Power

Water

Hydroelectric Power

~90% energy:power conversion efficiency

Hydroelectric PowerThree types:1. Conventional storage– 1 Reservoir + Dam with turbine/s

2. Pumped storage– 2 reservoirs – water pumped back to

upper basin during low demand 3. Run-of-river– Use natural flow of river

UK Hydroelectric

~1.5% of UK electricity from hydroelectric power (2011)

Cruachan Dam, nr ObanCruachan Dam, nr Oban

1. The Hollow Mountain1. The Hollow Mountain

Scotland's World-First

World's first pumped storage schemeBegun in 1959, opened in 1965

Utilized 'spare' nuclear power90% pumped storage10% conventional hydro (rain)

440 MW capacity2014: could expand to ~1 GW

Dinorwig Hydroelectric Power Station, Snowdonia

2. Welsh Water2. Welsh Water

Europe's largest man-Europe's largest man-made cavern:made cavern:

The Electric Mountain

16km of tunnels16km of tunnels

Opened in 1984Opened in 1984

1m tonnes of concrete, 200k tonnes of 1m tonnes of concrete, 200k tonnes of cement, 4.5k tonnes of steelcement, 4.5k tonnes of steel

Rapid Response

1.8 GW Pumped Storage

Used for sudden power demand– 16-second

response time!

3. The Loch Ness Monster

Glendoe Dam

Glendoe geology

Caledonian Mountain beltDeformed sandstones and mudstones

600m head is UK's largest15km2 natural catchment

+ 60 km2 artificial (tunnel) catchment8km tunnel from turbine to Loch Ness

A Modern Marvel

900m dam

Your Thoughts...

Hydro Power:Pros & Cons

Limited expansion capacity

(especially outside Scotland!)

Raw materials

Vidal et al. - Nature Geoscience (2013)

Especially concrete!

Induced SeismicitySichuan earthquake 2008, M7.9:

~80,000 people killed

Zipingpu Dam, completed late 2006

Small-scale (<5 MW) hydro projects “take off in UK”

Mostly run-of-river

Could micro-hydro make it big?

Image from Strathclyde University

British Sea Power?"The UK is currently the undisputed

global leader in marine energy, with more wave and tidal stream devices installed than the rest of the world combined." (Renewable

UK)

Wave & Tidal PowerCurrently ~9 MW installed200 MW by 2020?Tidal potential = 25-30 GW (DECC)

12% of electricity demandWave + Tidal potential = 60 GW

Tidal PotentialPentland Firth:

• 4.2GW potential; 1.9GW feasible• (>40% of Scottish elec. demand)

Tides to the Power Severn?

2013: “Case unproven”

A watery future for the UK?

VOTE!

Next week: Wind & Sun

Truly renewable?