http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/NF13Ag01.html
Turkey's Hasankeyf dam can drown Kurds' hideaways
By Jay Cassano
HASANKEYF, Turkey - Hasankeyf, a small village in southeastern Turkey,
has been under threat for 15 years. Home to about 3,000 people, it is
the site is one of the oldest continuously inhabited human
settlements, with an archaeological record going back at least 9,500
years.
Now, the Ilisu Dam - part of a hydroelectric project undertaken by the
State Hydraulic Works - will flood Hasankeyf and the surrounding
region, effectively washing away millennia of history.
In addition to destroying a historical site, which includes vestiges
of every empire that ever inhabited Mesopotamia, the dam will cause
immense ecological harm to the Tigris River valley.
Derya Engin, who staffs the Hasankeyf office of the Nature Society, a
Turkish non-government organization, told Inter Press Service (IPS)
that numerous endangered species will lose their habitat if the dam is
built.
"The Tigris is the only untouched river ecosystem in Turkey and it is
vital that it remain that way," she said. "It is well-known that dams
dramatically change the climate of entire regions. This dam will
destroy the habitats of fish, birds, and plant life, some of which are
unique to the Tigris valley."
Construction of the dam began in earnest in 2008, but plans for its
implementation date back even further.
The dam was originally conceived in the 1950s as part of the
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), intended to develop the
infrastructure of largely rural and Kurdish southeastern Turkey. Since
1997, several European finance consortia have attempted to fund the
project, only to withdraw support
before anything concrete materialised.
The European banks and companies pulled out in large part due to
campaigns against the dam in their respective home countries. In 2009,
the German, Austrian and Swiss governments revoked the export credit
guarantees to the final consortium because the Turkish government
failed to meet the ecological, social, and cultural heritage standards
set by the World Bank.
For a while, activists in Turkey and throughout Europe believed they
had won the fight and that construction of the dam would stop. To
their surprise, construction is continuing to this day.
It was later revealed that the Turkish government had secured funding
from two of the country's largest private banks, Akbank and Garanti,
making the project still viable.
Water wars
The Turkish government's reasons for pressing ahead with the
controversial project are not what one might expect. Projections place
the amount of hydroelectric power the dam will produce at less than 2%
of Turkey's total energy needs - not enough, opponents argue, to
justify the destruction of an entire ecosystem, invaluable cultural
heritage, and the livelihoods of several thousand people.
The Turkish government has openly proclaimed that the main function of
the dam system is to bolster the country's counter-insurgency strategy
against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which operates from the
mountainous Iraqi-Turkish border. Together, the strategically placed
dams created by GAP will form a massive wall of water close to
Turkey's border with Iraq.
Having flown through the Hasankeyf for millenia, the Tigris has
created a vast canyon topography that is not only visually spectacular
but also provides necessary cover for militants. In addition to
raising the water level of the Tigris, flooding from Ilisu Dam will
spill over into nearby canyons that are currently dry.
With canyons filled and massive lakes created where rivers once
flowed, the terrain will become impassable by foot.
Furthermore, the effects of the dam will extend beyond Hasankeyf, well
across national borders. By virtue of being upstream from Iraq and
Syria on both the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, Turkey effectively
controls the flow of water southward.
With the Euphrates already heavily dammed, the Syrian and Iraqi
governments have raised serious concerns about dam projects on the
Tigris. Twice the region has been on the verge of water wars, once in
1975 and again in 1990. Restricting water flow from the Tigris could
prove to be a tipping point in the incendiary region.
Activists believe that, ultimately, the dam will turn water into a
political tool both inside and outside Turkey's borders.
Down the road, Mehmet Ali, a shopkeeper selling tourist souvenirs,
lamented the imminent loss of his home. "They are condemning a place
like this, with no equal in the world, for a dam that will only
operate for 50 years."
An invaluable site
Today there is little recourse left to stop construction. The European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) could theoretically put a hold on the
project. A case was brought before the court in 2006 but was rejected
on the grounds that the ECHR protects human rights, not cultural
heritage, ignoring the 35,000 people who will be forced to give up
their way of life if the dam is completed.
A new case is being submitted to the ECHR after a Turkish regional
court rejected it this week. Locals hope that it will work, but are
not deceiving themselves. They have learned from experience how
determined the state is to continue with the project.
Omer Guzel, a shop owner and local activist in Hasankeyf, told IPS
that at one point the villagers held protests every week. "It didn't
accomplish anything," he said. "In the end the dam is still being
built right now."
The government has kept the construction site, 16 kilometres
downstream from Hasankeyf, under heavy security. However, sources with
access to the site, who spoke to IPS on the condition of anonymity,
claim that the dam is already half completed.
There is still a chance that the United Nations Education, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) might list the area as a World
Heritage site, effectively guaranteeing its protection.
To qualify for World Heritage status, a site must meet one of 10
criteria for outstanding universal value in an area of cultural or
natural significance. Hasankeyf, as the only site in the world that
meets nine of the 10 criteria, is an exceptional candidate for
inclusion.
Unfortunately, that fact alone is not enough to be listed. "In order
to be included as a World Heritage site, the country in which the site
is located must submit an application to UNESCO. The Turkish
government has not done this," Engin said.
A UNESCO delegation previously visited Hasankeyf and, upon taking
stock of the area, urged the Turkish government to apply. The
implication was that if Turkey applied, Hasankeyf would be accepted.
"But the government does not want to protect this area, so why would
they apply? The dam project is too important to the state," Engin said.
(Inter Press Service)
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Maine dam coming down!
Good news for Penobscot river in Maine.
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/09/154653129/a-damned-dam-on-the-penobscot-river
A Damned Dam On The Penobscot River
by Susan Sharon
June 9, 2012
Like most members of the Penobscot Nation, Scott Phillips grew up near
the Penobscot River and learned to paddle and fish as a young boy. He
took to it like a duck to water. He became a competitive racer and
eventually opened his own business selling canoes, kayaks and other
outdoor gear.
Next week, the first of two dams on the river will be removed,
altering the way it's used recreationally. The change could also be a
boon to Phillip's business.
"There's going be more people that are going to want to get into
canoeing or kayaking or even rafting," Phillips says. "Because once we
take those dams out, you're going from basically two small, lake-type
features to a free-flowing river again and it's going to be nice."
Paddling a stretch of calm water, Phillips says members of his tribe
have long opposed the labyrinth of dams that block Atlantic salmon
from their native spawning grounds. By the end of next year, a 35-mile
section of river is expected to be clear.
"It's the traveling route my Penobscot ancestors used to get to the
ocean for centuries, and so I'm very excited to retrace those steps,"
says Phillips.
Long Time Coming
Conservation groups are also cheering the move. For centuries,
industry relied on the Penobscot River. Former Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife Commissioner Bucky Owen is a fly fisherman who's hopeful
nearly a dozen fish species will be restored along with the river's
ecological health.
"I've been involved with conservation for over 40 years here in Maine
and this is the No. 1 project I think that I will have been or will be
involved in � the most significant," Owen says.
A coalition of conservation groups collaborated with industry, the
Penobscot Nation and government officials to make the project happen.
Before they came to an agreement, the three parties fought protracted
court battles over hydro development and fish passage. Black Bear
Hydro spokesman Scott Hall was one of the first people to agree to
negotiation.
"The benefit to us relatively early on was very clear," Hall says.
"And that was that there was a better way to do business."
Fewer Dams, More Energy
In exchange for removal of two out-dated, inefficient dams and
installing better fish passage at a third, Hall's company is allowed
to boost energy production at other facilities along the river. The
complicated process to get to the agreement has taken 13 years.
"We had a number of occasions where the emotions were very high," Hall
says. "But to everybody's credit, I think somebody was able to step in
each time and say okay, wait a minute, we're making progress here.
There's a bigger end to this."
Despite the three sides finally agreeing to remove the dams, there are
still some critics of the historic project, including Maine's Gov.
Paul LePage.
It's irresponsible for our state or our country to be taking out hydro
dams at this time," LePage says.
LePage says more dams should be built as a way to lower energy costs.
In protest, he is skipping Monday's planned celebration to mark the
Penobscot's rebirth with the demolition of the Great Works Dam.
________________________________________________
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http://www.npr.org/2012/06/09/154653129/a-damned-dam-on-the-penobscot-river
A Damned Dam On The Penobscot River
by Susan Sharon
June 9, 2012
Like most members of the Penobscot Nation, Scott Phillips grew up near
the Penobscot River and learned to paddle and fish as a young boy. He
took to it like a duck to water. He became a competitive racer and
eventually opened his own business selling canoes, kayaks and other
outdoor gear.
Next week, the first of two dams on the river will be removed,
altering the way it's used recreationally. The change could also be a
boon to Phillip's business.
"There's going be more people that are going to want to get into
canoeing or kayaking or even rafting," Phillips says. "Because once we
take those dams out, you're going from basically two small, lake-type
features to a free-flowing river again and it's going to be nice."
Paddling a stretch of calm water, Phillips says members of his tribe
have long opposed the labyrinth of dams that block Atlantic salmon
from their native spawning grounds. By the end of next year, a 35-mile
section of river is expected to be clear.
"It's the traveling route my Penobscot ancestors used to get to the
ocean for centuries, and so I'm very excited to retrace those steps,"
says Phillips.
Long Time Coming
Conservation groups are also cheering the move. For centuries,
industry relied on the Penobscot River. Former Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife Commissioner Bucky Owen is a fly fisherman who's hopeful
nearly a dozen fish species will be restored along with the river's
ecological health.
"I've been involved with conservation for over 40 years here in Maine
and this is the No. 1 project I think that I will have been or will be
involved in � the most significant," Owen says.
A coalition of conservation groups collaborated with industry, the
Penobscot Nation and government officials to make the project happen.
Before they came to an agreement, the three parties fought protracted
court battles over hydro development and fish passage. Black Bear
Hydro spokesman Scott Hall was one of the first people to agree to
negotiation.
"The benefit to us relatively early on was very clear," Hall says.
"And that was that there was a better way to do business."
Fewer Dams, More Energy
In exchange for removal of two out-dated, inefficient dams and
installing better fish passage at a third, Hall's company is allowed
to boost energy production at other facilities along the river. The
complicated process to get to the agreement has taken 13 years.
"We had a number of occasions where the emotions were very high," Hall
says. "But to everybody's credit, I think somebody was able to step in
each time and say okay, wait a minute, we're making progress here.
There's a bigger end to this."
Despite the three sides finally agreeing to remove the dams, there are
still some critics of the historic project, including Maine's Gov.
Paul LePage.
It's irresponsible for our state or our country to be taking out hydro
dams at this time," LePage says.
LePage says more dams should be built as a way to lower energy costs.
In protest, he is skipping Monday's planned celebration to mark the
Penobscot's rebirth with the demolition of the Great Works Dam.
________________________________________________
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Renewables investment surged in 2011
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-06-11/Renewable-energy-investment/55517876/1
China topped USA in renewable energy investment in 2011
By Frank Jordans
GENEVA � Global investment in renewable energy reached a record $257
billion last year, with solar attracting more than half the total,
according to a U.N. report released Monday.
By Elizabeth Dalziel, AP
Investment in solar energy surged to $147 billion in 2011, a year-on-
year increase of 52% thanks to strong demand for rooftop photovoltaic
installations in Germany, Italy, China and Britain.
China was responsible for almost a fifth of the total investment
volume, spending $52 billion on renewable energy last year. The United
States was close behind with investments of $51 billion, as developers
sought to benefit from government incentive programs before they
expired. Germany, Italy and India rounded out the top five.
Large-scale solar thermal installations in Spain and the United States
also contributed to growth during a fiercely competitive year for the
solar industry. Several large American and German manufacturers fell
victim to price pressure from Chinese rivals that helped to halve the
cost of photovoltaic modules in 2011.
The report's authors said the demise of companies such as Solyndra,
Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, Solar Millenium and Solon was a sign
that the solar industry is maturing.
"In 1903, the United States had over 500 car companies, most of which
quickly fell by the wayside even as the automobile sector grew into an
industrial juggernaut," the report said. "Today, the renewable energy
sector is experiencing similar growing pains as the sector
consolidates."
Wind power investment slipped 12% to $84 billion due to uncertainty
about energy policy in Europe and fewer new installations in China,
according to the report.
Overall investment in renewable energy grew 17%, a slowdown from the
37% increase in 2010. Still, the head of the U.N. Environment Program
claimed the latest figures are an indication that renewable energy is
drawing level with fossil fuels in some markets.
"These trends are real, they are substantive and they are
transformative," Achim Steiner told reporters in a conference call.
The U.N. is hoping that countries will use an environmental summit in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week to commit to further investments in
renewable energy, which covered just 16.7% of global energy
consumption in 2010. Of this share, modern technologies such as solar
and wind accounted for just 8.2%, less than the 8.5% contributed by
biomass.
By comparison, more than 80% of electricity consumed worldwide still
comes from fossil fuels that are blamed for a rise in carbon in the
atmosphere.
The U.N. report claims that solar panels installed in Germany, Italy,
Spain, Denmark and Australia can now compete with the retail cost of
electricity in those countries, even as government subsidies are
lowered.
It noted that developing countries are also exploring the use of
renewable energy other than hydropower, which has long been a popular
source in poor countries.
Nations in East Africa are seeking to take advantage of abundant
geothermal capacity in the Rift Valley. Kenya aims to meet half of its
electricity needs with geothermal power by 2018. Djibouti, Eritrea,
Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are also exploring geothermal use.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
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China topped USA in renewable energy investment in 2011
By Frank Jordans
GENEVA � Global investment in renewable energy reached a record $257
billion last year, with solar attracting more than half the total,
according to a U.N. report released Monday.
By Elizabeth Dalziel, AP
Investment in solar energy surged to $147 billion in 2011, a year-on-
year increase of 52% thanks to strong demand for rooftop photovoltaic
installations in Germany, Italy, China and Britain.
China was responsible for almost a fifth of the total investment
volume, spending $52 billion on renewable energy last year. The United
States was close behind with investments of $51 billion, as developers
sought to benefit from government incentive programs before they
expired. Germany, Italy and India rounded out the top five.
Large-scale solar thermal installations in Spain and the United States
also contributed to growth during a fiercely competitive year for the
solar industry. Several large American and German manufacturers fell
victim to price pressure from Chinese rivals that helped to halve the
cost of photovoltaic modules in 2011.
The report's authors said the demise of companies such as Solyndra,
Evergreen Solar, SpectraWatt, Solar Millenium and Solon was a sign
that the solar industry is maturing.
"In 1903, the United States had over 500 car companies, most of which
quickly fell by the wayside even as the automobile sector grew into an
industrial juggernaut," the report said. "Today, the renewable energy
sector is experiencing similar growing pains as the sector
consolidates."
Wind power investment slipped 12% to $84 billion due to uncertainty
about energy policy in Europe and fewer new installations in China,
according to the report.
Overall investment in renewable energy grew 17%, a slowdown from the
37% increase in 2010. Still, the head of the U.N. Environment Program
claimed the latest figures are an indication that renewable energy is
drawing level with fossil fuels in some markets.
"These trends are real, they are substantive and they are
transformative," Achim Steiner told reporters in a conference call.
The U.N. is hoping that countries will use an environmental summit in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week to commit to further investments in
renewable energy, which covered just 16.7% of global energy
consumption in 2010. Of this share, modern technologies such as solar
and wind accounted for just 8.2%, less than the 8.5% contributed by
biomass.
By comparison, more than 80% of electricity consumed worldwide still
comes from fossil fuels that are blamed for a rise in carbon in the
atmosphere.
The U.N. report claims that solar panels installed in Germany, Italy,
Spain, Denmark and Australia can now compete with the retail cost of
electricity in those countries, even as government subsidies are
lowered.
It noted that developing countries are also exploring the use of
renewable energy other than hydropower, which has long been a popular
source in poor countries.
Nations in East Africa are seeking to take advantage of abundant
geothermal capacity in the Rift Valley. Kenya aims to meet half of its
electricity needs with geothermal power by 2018. Djibouti, Eritrea,
Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are also exploring geothermal use.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
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Friday, June 8, 2012
Dam building restraint urged
Dam building restraint urged
By Shi Jiangtao in Beijing
6 June 2012
scmp.com
Deputy Environment Minister Wu Xiaoqing has urged caution amid a big
dam-building frenzy on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, saying
the lessons of past dam construction in China's southwest must be
learned in the face of mounting environmental concerns and resettlement
controversies.
Wu's remarks, at a media briefing in Beijing yesterday marking World
Environment Day, came amid heated debate on the building of four
mega-dams on the lower reaches of Jinsha (Yangtze) River and the
Xiaonanhai dam in Chongqing.
While supporters often tout big dams as effective solutions to poverty
and the country's power shortages, critics have pointed to rampant
environmental and geological hazards and simmering tensions over
relocation disputes among those evicted to make way for dams.
Wu expressed concern over the building of the Xiaonanhai dam, a
contentious project widely known as a pet project of Bo Xilai , the
disgraced former Communist Party chief in the southwestern municipality.
Even though the Xiaonanhai dam has been mired in controversies over its
devastating impact on a nearby national fishery reserve, its poor
economic feasibility and Bo's heavy involvement, its preparatory work
was allowed to go ahead only two weeks after Bo's downfall in late March.
"We have been closely watching the project and attached lots of
attention to the opinions of the media and various social groups," Wu said.
He said the ministry had urged local authorities to make a careful
decision after thoroughly reviewing the impact of the project.
It is widely believed that once the preliminary work, costing more than
200 million yuan (HK$1.5 billion), starts, it will be virtually
impossible to stop the 32 billion yuan project.
But Wu still appears to have faith in his ministry's ability to flex
some environmental muscle, saying the dam project is still subject to
formal approval by the environment ministry and other central government
agencies.
"So far we have not received the environmental impact assessment report
for the dam project," he said.
In a broader comment on intensive dam construction along the upper
reaches of the Yangtze, where as many as 36 dams are being built or
planned, including the Xiaonanhai and four mega-dams on the lower
Jinsha, Wu emphasised the need to learn from past lessons.
Wu, a former deputy governor of Yunnan, said that southwestern China,
home to most of the big dams to be built in the coming decade, had rich
environmental and bio-diversity resources and was prone to a wide range
of geological risks, such as earthquakes and landslides. He said his
ministry had demanded that other government agencies and local
authorities carry out full reviews of the environmental impacts of
existing dams before pushing for more dams, which looked poised to wreck
further havoc on the environment and river systems.
"It is the prerequisite of our pursuit of active hydropower development
that we should properly deal with environmental protection and
resettlement," he said.
But despite widespread public support and its elevation to full ministry
status in 2008, environmentalists say Wu's ministry is still largely
"toothless" in blocking big dams built by power companies and backed by
the National Development and Reform Commission.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: china@list.internationalrivers.org
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By Shi Jiangtao in Beijing
6 June 2012
scmp.com
Deputy Environment Minister Wu Xiaoqing has urged caution amid a big
dam-building frenzy on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, saying
the lessons of past dam construction in China's southwest must be
learned in the face of mounting environmental concerns and resettlement
controversies.
Wu's remarks, at a media briefing in Beijing yesterday marking World
Environment Day, came amid heated debate on the building of four
mega-dams on the lower reaches of Jinsha (Yangtze) River and the
Xiaonanhai dam in Chongqing.
While supporters often tout big dams as effective solutions to poverty
and the country's power shortages, critics have pointed to rampant
environmental and geological hazards and simmering tensions over
relocation disputes among those evicted to make way for dams.
Wu expressed concern over the building of the Xiaonanhai dam, a
contentious project widely known as a pet project of Bo Xilai , the
disgraced former Communist Party chief in the southwestern municipality.
Even though the Xiaonanhai dam has been mired in controversies over its
devastating impact on a nearby national fishery reserve, its poor
economic feasibility and Bo's heavy involvement, its preparatory work
was allowed to go ahead only two weeks after Bo's downfall in late March.
"We have been closely watching the project and attached lots of
attention to the opinions of the media and various social groups," Wu said.
He said the ministry had urged local authorities to make a careful
decision after thoroughly reviewing the impact of the project.
It is widely believed that once the preliminary work, costing more than
200 million yuan (HK$1.5 billion), starts, it will be virtually
impossible to stop the 32 billion yuan project.
But Wu still appears to have faith in his ministry's ability to flex
some environmental muscle, saying the dam project is still subject to
formal approval by the environment ministry and other central government
agencies.
"So far we have not received the environmental impact assessment report
for the dam project," he said.
In a broader comment on intensive dam construction along the upper
reaches of the Yangtze, where as many as 36 dams are being built or
planned, including the Xiaonanhai and four mega-dams on the lower
Jinsha, Wu emphasised the need to learn from past lessons.
Wu, a former deputy governor of Yunnan, said that southwestern China,
home to most of the big dams to be built in the coming decade, had rich
environmental and bio-diversity resources and was prone to a wide range
of geological risks, such as earthquakes and landslides. He said his
ministry had demanded that other government agencies and local
authorities carry out full reviews of the environmental impacts of
existing dams before pushing for more dams, which looked poised to wreck
further havoc on the environment and river systems.
"It is the prerequisite of our pursuit of active hydropower development
that we should properly deal with environmental protection and
resettlement," he said.
But despite widespread public support and its elevation to full ministry
status in 2008, environmentalists say Wu's ministry is still largely
"toothless" in blocking big dams built by power companies and backed by
the National Development and Reform Commission.
________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list: china@list.internationalrivers.org
To be removed from the list, please visit:
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Southern Africa power plant plans
Nothing on efficiency or demand-management; almost no renewable
energy...
http://www.iol.co.za/business/features/planned-power-projects-will-beat-southern-africa-s-energy-blues-1.1305571#.T847Rb9PA7A
SA Time: Tue Jun 5 19:00:53 2012
Planned power projects will beat Southern Africa�s energy blues
May 27 2012 at 03:47pm
By Reuters
REUTERS
Southern Africa has abundant energy sources such as coal, hydro, solar
and wind, many of which have yet to be developed. The biggest projects
in the pipeline are:
BOTSWANA: Toronto-listed CIC Energy plans a 1 200MW coal-fired plant
in Botswana. But the
Mmamabula Energy Project was suspended in 2009 pending a power
purchase agreement with South
Africa. CIC also plans to develop a 300MW coal-fired plant at the
Mmamabula coal field to supply
Botswana. Once financing is arranged, the estimated construction
period is two years. Botswana will
issue a tender in 2012 for two, 300MW coal-fired plants to be built by
independent producers. One of
the projects, due in 2015/16, will be an expansion at the existing
Morupule complex where power utility
Botswana Power Corporation operates a coal-fired plant. The other
plant, due by 2018/19, can be built
anywhere in the country.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): South Africa and the DRC are in
talks to develop the 40 000MW hydro dam project on the Congo River,
estimated to cost R200 billion. Political risk caused previous
attempts to develop smaller hydro projects on the river to fail.
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique plans to construct a transmission line linking
its Zambezia province, where
most of the hydro and coal mining projects are, with the capital,
Maputo. There is no direct line linking
the present dam with Maputo and the capital is supplied via a line
that first goes to South Africa and
then transmits power back to Mozambique. The $1.9bn (R15.9bn) project
is seen as key to getting other
generation projects off the ground. Mozambique�s state utility, EDM,
will be the lead developer with at
least a 51 percent stake. There are also more than 3 000MW-worth of
hydro projects in the pipeline,
with completion pencilled in for 2018 to 2020. Cahora Bassa
Hydroelectric also plans an expansion,
building a power station in the northern part of the Zambezi River to
boost supplies after it has
exhausted the maximum capacity of 2 075MW it can produce from its
generators on the southern bank.
The plant will add 1 245MW by 2019 to 2021. Mphanda Nkuwa: Mozambique
is building a new dam
on the Zambezi, some 60km downstream from Cahora Bassa. The $3bn
project will add up to
1 500MW. It is being jointly developed by a consortium consisting of
Brazilian conglomerate Camargo
Correa, the Insitec Group and Mozambique�s EDM. Smaller hydro projects
include: Boroma (200MW),
Mavuzi 2 and 3 (60MW), Lupata (600MW), Lurio (120MW), Alto Malema
(60MW), and Massingir
(27MW). Gas-to-power: new gas-to-power projects will add around 300MW
to the grid by 2013 to
2014. They include a Sasol-EDM project (140MW), Gigawatt Mozambique�s
plant (100MW) and
Enventure�s Kuvaninga project (40MW). Benga: Miner Riversdale, now
owned by Rio Tinto, is developing
a thermal power station in Tete province. The plant will initially
produce 600MW, starting in 2013, and
there is potential to ramp it up to 2 000MW by 2020. Power would be
used to supply mines in
Mozambique and South African utility Eskom. Moatize: Brazilian miner
Vale plans to build a 600MW
thermal plant in Tete. The company is still looking for international
investors to help fund the project.
India�s Jindal Steel & Power also plans to build a 2 640MW coal-fired
power plant in the northern
province. The plant was estimated to cost $3bn, with first production
expected in 2015, Mozambique�s
energy ministry said in October. The power will be sold domestically
and to the rest of southern Africa.
NAMIBIA: Van Eck power plant: state utility NamPower is rehabilitating
the 120MW coal-fired plant to extend its life by another five years.
The project is due this year. Ruacana: NamPower has added a 92MW unit
to the hydro plant, raising capacity to a total 332MW. The utility is
also replacing turbine runners at the hydro plant to expand its
capacity by further 15MW, a project which will be completed within the
next 18 to 24 months. Paratus power plant: NamPower is replacing four
old machines at the diesel-powered plant. The project will be
completed within two years. Erongo coal-fired power station: NamPower
is planning the construction of a 300MW coal-fired power plant at
Arandis. The plant could later be expanded to 800MW. Detailed studies
for the project, which may be built in co-operation with an
independent power producer, are under way. Kudu gas-to-power plant:
the plant, expected to generate 800MW, has faced many delays. Half of
the power produced would go to Namibia, with the rest to be used by
utilities in the region. The project involves pumping gas from the
Kudu field about 170km offshore to a combined cycle gas power plant.
It is unclear when the project may materialise. Baynes hydro power
plant: a dam feeding into a 400MW power plant is envisaged along the
Kunene River on the border between Namibia and Angola. Studies on the
$1.3bn dam, driven by both governments, are expected to be presented
to the governments for approval by the middle of the year. Small
Orange River hydro power plant: the project, to be jointly developed
by Namibia and South Africa, is still in the feasibility study stage,
but could produce between 80 and 200MW. Caprivi: NamPower has
commissioned the Caprivi interconnector, a 951km transmission line
from Namibia to Zambia, which gives the country access to power from
Zambia, Mozambique and others in the region.
SOUTH AFRICA: Medupi: the first unit of the 4 764MW coal-fired plant
will be commissioned in late
2013. The plant will be fully operational by 2018. Kusile: the 4 800MW
coal-fired plant is due by 2019.
Ingula: the 1 352MW hydro power plant is due by 2015. Renewable
energy: South Africa launched a
bidding process to eventually add up to 3 725MW of green energy to the
national grid by 2016.
ZAMBIA: Zambia, Africa�s top copper producer, will ask big electricity
consumers such as miners to cut back their energy use as the country
has been hit by a power shortage that will only ease in December 2013.
Peak power demand when Zambian consumers switch on their heaters
outstrips the 1 800MW it currently generates, although Zambia expects
to have a surplus of 600MW by 2016, allowing it to supply power to the
region. Kariba North Bank: Zambia contracted China�s Sino Hydro to
build the Kariba North Bank Extension power station, which will add
360MW to the electricity grid. The project will ease Zambia�s power
shortage when it comes on stream in December 2013. Maamba Collieries,
majority owned by Singaporean miner Nava Bharat, has pushed back to
2015 the completion of a 300MW coal-fired plant because of delays in
getting environmental approvals. The plant will initially produce
300MW and later add another 300MW. The investment for the first phase
of the project is seen at $750 million. Kafue Gorge Lower: the 750MW
Kafue Gorge Lower hydro power station, due for construction in 2012,
has been delayed by the global financial crisis and technical
difficulties. The $2bn plant is expected to be completed by 2018.
Itezhi-Tezhi: the $270m hydro plant on the Itezhi-Tezhi dam, a joint
venture between utility Zesco and Tata Africa Holdings, is expected to
generate 120MW and start production in 2016 to 2017, according to
Zesco. Zambia also plans to build two new hydro power plants estimated
to cost $650m in the northern part of the country starting in 2013.
The two plants are expected to add a total of 247MW to the national
grid.
Source: Reuters
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energy...
http://www.iol.co.za/business/features/planned-power-projects-will-beat-southern-africa-s-energy-blues-1.1305571#.T847Rb9PA7A
SA Time: Tue Jun 5 19:00:53 2012
Planned power projects will beat Southern Africa�s energy blues
May 27 2012 at 03:47pm
By Reuters
REUTERS
Southern Africa has abundant energy sources such as coal, hydro, solar
and wind, many of which have yet to be developed. The biggest projects
in the pipeline are:
BOTSWANA: Toronto-listed CIC Energy plans a 1 200MW coal-fired plant
in Botswana. But the
Mmamabula Energy Project was suspended in 2009 pending a power
purchase agreement with South
Africa. CIC also plans to develop a 300MW coal-fired plant at the
Mmamabula coal field to supply
Botswana. Once financing is arranged, the estimated construction
period is two years. Botswana will
issue a tender in 2012 for two, 300MW coal-fired plants to be built by
independent producers. One of
the projects, due in 2015/16, will be an expansion at the existing
Morupule complex where power utility
Botswana Power Corporation operates a coal-fired plant. The other
plant, due by 2018/19, can be built
anywhere in the country.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): South Africa and the DRC are in
talks to develop the 40 000MW hydro dam project on the Congo River,
estimated to cost R200 billion. Political risk caused previous
attempts to develop smaller hydro projects on the river to fail.
MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique plans to construct a transmission line linking
its Zambezia province, where
most of the hydro and coal mining projects are, with the capital,
Maputo. There is no direct line linking
the present dam with Maputo and the capital is supplied via a line
that first goes to South Africa and
then transmits power back to Mozambique. The $1.9bn (R15.9bn) project
is seen as key to getting other
generation projects off the ground. Mozambique�s state utility, EDM,
will be the lead developer with at
least a 51 percent stake. There are also more than 3 000MW-worth of
hydro projects in the pipeline,
with completion pencilled in for 2018 to 2020. Cahora Bassa
Hydroelectric also plans an expansion,
building a power station in the northern part of the Zambezi River to
boost supplies after it has
exhausted the maximum capacity of 2 075MW it can produce from its
generators on the southern bank.
The plant will add 1 245MW by 2019 to 2021. Mphanda Nkuwa: Mozambique
is building a new dam
on the Zambezi, some 60km downstream from Cahora Bassa. The $3bn
project will add up to
1 500MW. It is being jointly developed by a consortium consisting of
Brazilian conglomerate Camargo
Correa, the Insitec Group and Mozambique�s EDM. Smaller hydro projects
include: Boroma (200MW),
Mavuzi 2 and 3 (60MW), Lupata (600MW), Lurio (120MW), Alto Malema
(60MW), and Massingir
(27MW). Gas-to-power: new gas-to-power projects will add around 300MW
to the grid by 2013 to
2014. They include a Sasol-EDM project (140MW), Gigawatt Mozambique�s
plant (100MW) and
Enventure�s Kuvaninga project (40MW). Benga: Miner Riversdale, now
owned by Rio Tinto, is developing
a thermal power station in Tete province. The plant will initially
produce 600MW, starting in 2013, and
there is potential to ramp it up to 2 000MW by 2020. Power would be
used to supply mines in
Mozambique and South African utility Eskom. Moatize: Brazilian miner
Vale plans to build a 600MW
thermal plant in Tete. The company is still looking for international
investors to help fund the project.
India�s Jindal Steel & Power also plans to build a 2 640MW coal-fired
power plant in the northern
province. The plant was estimated to cost $3bn, with first production
expected in 2015, Mozambique�s
energy ministry said in October. The power will be sold domestically
and to the rest of southern Africa.
NAMIBIA: Van Eck power plant: state utility NamPower is rehabilitating
the 120MW coal-fired plant to extend its life by another five years.
The project is due this year. Ruacana: NamPower has added a 92MW unit
to the hydro plant, raising capacity to a total 332MW. The utility is
also replacing turbine runners at the hydro plant to expand its
capacity by further 15MW, a project which will be completed within the
next 18 to 24 months. Paratus power plant: NamPower is replacing four
old machines at the diesel-powered plant. The project will be
completed within two years. Erongo coal-fired power station: NamPower
is planning the construction of a 300MW coal-fired power plant at
Arandis. The plant could later be expanded to 800MW. Detailed studies
for the project, which may be built in co-operation with an
independent power producer, are under way. Kudu gas-to-power plant:
the plant, expected to generate 800MW, has faced many delays. Half of
the power produced would go to Namibia, with the rest to be used by
utilities in the region. The project involves pumping gas from the
Kudu field about 170km offshore to a combined cycle gas power plant.
It is unclear when the project may materialise. Baynes hydro power
plant: a dam feeding into a 400MW power plant is envisaged along the
Kunene River on the border between Namibia and Angola. Studies on the
$1.3bn dam, driven by both governments, are expected to be presented
to the governments for approval by the middle of the year. Small
Orange River hydro power plant: the project, to be jointly developed
by Namibia and South Africa, is still in the feasibility study stage,
but could produce between 80 and 200MW. Caprivi: NamPower has
commissioned the Caprivi interconnector, a 951km transmission line
from Namibia to Zambia, which gives the country access to power from
Zambia, Mozambique and others in the region.
SOUTH AFRICA: Medupi: the first unit of the 4 764MW coal-fired plant
will be commissioned in late
2013. The plant will be fully operational by 2018. Kusile: the 4 800MW
coal-fired plant is due by 2019.
Ingula: the 1 352MW hydro power plant is due by 2015. Renewable
energy: South Africa launched a
bidding process to eventually add up to 3 725MW of green energy to the
national grid by 2016.
ZAMBIA: Zambia, Africa�s top copper producer, will ask big electricity
consumers such as miners to cut back their energy use as the country
has been hit by a power shortage that will only ease in December 2013.
Peak power demand when Zambian consumers switch on their heaters
outstrips the 1 800MW it currently generates, although Zambia expects
to have a surplus of 600MW by 2016, allowing it to supply power to the
region. Kariba North Bank: Zambia contracted China�s Sino Hydro to
build the Kariba North Bank Extension power station, which will add
360MW to the electricity grid. The project will ease Zambia�s power
shortage when it comes on stream in December 2013. Maamba Collieries,
majority owned by Singaporean miner Nava Bharat, has pushed back to
2015 the completion of a 300MW coal-fired plant because of delays in
getting environmental approvals. The plant will initially produce
300MW and later add another 300MW. The investment for the first phase
of the project is seen at $750 million. Kafue Gorge Lower: the 750MW
Kafue Gorge Lower hydro power station, due for construction in 2012,
has been delayed by the global financial crisis and technical
difficulties. The $2bn plant is expected to be completed by 2018.
Itezhi-Tezhi: the $270m hydro plant on the Itezhi-Tezhi dam, a joint
venture between utility Zesco and Tata Africa Holdings, is expected to
generate 120MW and start production in 2016 to 2017, according to
Zesco. Zambia also plans to build two new hydro power plants estimated
to cost $650m in the northern part of the country starting in 2013.
The two plants are expected to add a total of 247MW to the national
grid.
Source: Reuters
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Water Shortages Could Stall Mangla Dam Work
Water Shortages Could Stall Mangla Dam Work
4 Jun 2012 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A project to increase the capacity of Pakistan's
second-largest dam may hit a snag due to water shortages, according to
the country's Water and Power Development Authority.
Authority chairman Shakil Durrani told officials in Kashmir at the end
of May that the $1 billion USD project to raise the height of the Mangla
Dam on the Jhelum River to its maximum level of 378.5 meters may not be
completed because there is not enough water to fill the reservoir.
According to Durrani, the project "would store an additional [3.6
billion cubic meters] of water and generate 644 million additional units
of electricity."
"It will significantly contribute toward the socio-economic development
of Pakistan," he said. The authority estimates that additional benefits
from the project will be worth some $193 million USD per year.
The dam's height was raised by 9 meters back in October 2011. Experts
said this was necessary because the dam's reservoir had lost almost 20
percent of its capacity due to sedimentation.
However, increasing the size of the dam was a controversial move. The
project spent a long time in limbo due to opposition from the people who
were displaced by the dam work.
Durrani said those affected by the project were compensated through "an
unprecedented compensation and resettlement package."
Some $700 million USD of the project's cost was spent on compensation
and resettlement, including construction of the new Mirpur City.
With this hurdle gone, the Water and Power Development Authority turned
its attention to filling the reservoir. But low water availability in
the Jhelum will likely hamper this effort.
This year, temperatures in the catchment areas of the Jhelum and other
major rivers in Pakistan have remained abnormally low, resulting in less
melting of ice and thus less discharge of water.
According to data from the Punjab Irrigation Department, the Mangla Dam
is usually filled to its 80 percent mark by June 30 every year.
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4 Jun 2012 by OOSKAnews Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A project to increase the capacity of Pakistan's
second-largest dam may hit a snag due to water shortages, according to
the country's Water and Power Development Authority.
Authority chairman Shakil Durrani told officials in Kashmir at the end
of May that the $1 billion USD project to raise the height of the Mangla
Dam on the Jhelum River to its maximum level of 378.5 meters may not be
completed because there is not enough water to fill the reservoir.
According to Durrani, the project "would store an additional [3.6
billion cubic meters] of water and generate 644 million additional units
of electricity."
"It will significantly contribute toward the socio-economic development
of Pakistan," he said. The authority estimates that additional benefits
from the project will be worth some $193 million USD per year.
The dam's height was raised by 9 meters back in October 2011. Experts
said this was necessary because the dam's reservoir had lost almost 20
percent of its capacity due to sedimentation.
However, increasing the size of the dam was a controversial move. The
project spent a long time in limbo due to opposition from the people who
were displaced by the dam work.
Durrani said those affected by the project were compensated through "an
unprecedented compensation and resettlement package."
Some $700 million USD of the project's cost was spent on compensation
and resettlement, including construction of the new Mirpur City.
With this hurdle gone, the Water and Power Development Authority turned
its attention to filling the reservoir. But low water availability in
the Jhelum will likely hamper this effort.
This year, temperatures in the catchment areas of the Jhelum and other
major rivers in Pakistan have remained abnormally low, resulting in less
melting of ice and thus less discharge of water.
According to data from the Punjab Irrigation Department, the Mangla Dam
is usually filled to its 80 percent mark by June 30 every year.
________________________________________________
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Friday, June 1, 2012
China gets power sums wrong/Asia Times
China gets power sums wrong
By Sabine Johnson-Reiser
China's Jinsha River, literally the "Golden Sands" River, could soon
live up to its rich name. The approximately 2,300-kilometer long
upstream section of the Yangtze River is the site of up to 25 planned
large-scale (50 megawatt and above) hydropower projects.
China's state-run hydropower companies, local governments, and energy-
hungry cities in the more developed, eastern provinces stand to profit
from hydropower construction and electricity generation. Driven by
Beijing's energy and climate goals, this new dam building rush,
however, will reduce China's climate change adaptation capacity and
hurt relationships with neighboring countries without providing the
emission-free electricity Beijing is seeking.
China's status as the world's largest carbon-dioxide (CO2) emitter has
put increasing pressure-both domestic and international-on Beijing to
curb national emissions. In response, the government has laid out a
set of binding targets in the 12th Five Year Plan: an 11.4% increase
in the use of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption; a 16%
decrease in energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product
(GDP); and a 17% decrease in CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 2015 [1].
Now, China is looking for sources of clean, emission-free and
sustainable electricity to fulfill ever-growing demand and meet
renewable energy and emission targets. More large scale hydropower is
wrongly thought to be one such source. Consequently, dozens of
projects are planned or already under construction on a number of
rivers, including 26 on the Lancang, headwater of the Mekong, 13 on
the Nu, headwater of the Salween, and 28 on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the
headwater of the Brahmaputra.
Misguided hydropower
Addressing China's power sector - a major contributor to national
greenhouse gas emissions - is critical to reaching Beijing's emission
targets. A terawatt hour (TWh) of electricity generated in China
produces on average 70% more CO2 emissions than
a TWh generated in the United States,
and China's power sector accounted for almost 50% of the country's CO2
emissions in 2009. Developments in the power sector therefore will
have a significant impact on the country's emission trajectory.
The high carbon-intensity of China's electricity is due to the
sector's heavy reliance on coal, a very carbon-intensive fuel that is
used to generate around 80% of China's electricity. Hydropower
accounts for 16% of the country's electricity generation with nuclear,
wind and solar making up the remainder. Hydropower advocates argue
that shifting the energy mix from carbon-intensive coal to more
hydropower would benefit China's emission targets.
This argument relies on the still widespread "clean, sustainable and
emission-free hydropower" narrative. Even the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change tacitly supports this misconception by
making reports of greenhouse gas emissions from dam reservoirs
voluntary.
Studies however have shown that hydropower can be a major source of
greenhouse gas. Organic material from previously forested, but now
flooded land and washed up debris, accumulates and decomposes in the
dam reservoirs, thereby releasing large amounts of methane, a potent
greenhouse gas.
This problem particularly affects hydropower projects in tropical
areas, where the vegetation is generally denser and more organic
material is accumulated in reservoirs. Some hydropower facilities in
tropical areas emit up to twice as much carbon dioxide per unit of
electricity as coal fired power plants [2].
As most of China's planned hydropower projects are located in densely
forested, subtropical southern and southwestern provinces, new dam
reservoirs are likely to become significant emission sources.
Making adaptation harder
The 12th Five Year Plan also addresses climate change adaptation
strategies. Beijing wants to strengthen the country's "capacity to
cope with extreme climate incidents," thereby enhancing China's
climate change adaptation capacity [3]. Yet, the construction of more
dams will decrease China's capacity to cope with extreme climate
incidents, which are predicted to include more-frequent and more-
severe record floods and droughts [4].
First, the impacts of large-scale dams on wetlands and human
settlement patterns limit China's adaptation capacity - the ability to
moderate potential damages or cope with the consequences of climate
change - as they expose millions of people to climate change related
risks.
To maximize power production, dams store water during the wet season
and release it during the dry season. This alteration of natural river
flow patterns impacts the health of natural flood storage systems,
such as downstream wetlands, lakes and marshes, often leading to their
disappearance. Thus, dams reduce the frequency of smaller floods, but
also decrease or eliminate wetlands' natural capacity to absorb water
and thus mitigate severe floods.
In addition, dams enable the conversion of wetlands to agricultural
farmland and provide downstream cities with electricity and water for
irrigation, industrial and household purposes, enabling and
encouraging their development and growth.
Hydropower development therefore contributes to population growth in
downstream areas, which simultaneously increases the number of people
at risk of dam failure as changing precipitation patterns could lead
to floods that may exceed the storage capacity of dams upstream.
The controversial Three Gorges Dam is a case in point. With a capacity
of 22.5 GW, the dam can generate up to 84.7 billion kWh of electricity
for cities in central, southern and eastern China, including the
downstream metropolis of Shanghai. While its reservoir supplied the
population in the middle and lower Yangtze with a steady source of
water, it also contributed to the drying up of Dongting and Poyang
Lake, two of China's largest freshwater lakes, during the 2011 drought.
Although the dam withstood its first major flood test in 2010, whether
the Three Gorges Dam will be able to contain future, possibly worse,
floods is uncertain\. If it fails, downstream residents will not be
able to rely on natural floodplains to mitigate the impact with
possibly disastrous consequences for life and property.
Second, the operation of large-scale dams exacerbates droughts in
downstream areas. In theory, reservoirs could provide short-term
drought relief, by releasing stored water for use downstream. Yet,
below a certain water level, the primary objective of hydropower
operators-maximizing electricity generation-suffers.
The fact that the central government had to order the China Three
Gorges Corporation to release water from the reservoir to alleviate
the severe drought downstream in 2011 suggests that hydropower
operators are likely to put power generation
ahead of drought relief.
Third, dams make it harder for coastal cities to adapt to rising sea
levels. As freshwater is held back in reservoirs upstream, natural
water outflows at river deltas are reduced, contributing to a fall in
coastal groundwater tables. Combined with rising sea levels, this
makes coastal delta regions more susceptible to saltwater intrusion,
which contaminates coastal freshwater aquifers and makes water unfit
for human consumption [5].
More dams could exacerbate future saltwater intrusion challenges for
many coastal Chinese cities brought on by rising sea levels. Shanghai,
located in the Yangtze River Delta, is already experiencing saltwater
intrusion, which research has linked to variations in water discharge
from the Three Gorges Dam [6].
Lastly, the expensive and long-lasting nature of hydropower
infrastructure makes it difficult or impossible to adapt them to
future changes in the environment,
agricultural and economic activities and human settlement patterns.
Large-scale dam construction is very costly. The record-setting Three
Gorges Dam cost approximately $25 billion. Even smaller projects like
the planned Xiaonanhai Dam on the Upper Yangtze cost up to $5.6
billion. China Post Securities analyst Shao Minghui estimates the
hydropower sector will need around $136 billion in infrastructure
investment by 2020.
The sheer size of this kind of investments often prompts path
dependency - the preference to continue even if better
alternatives are available - as
investors look to realize promised returns on investment, and local
governments are unwilling to admit that there may have been better
development alternatives.
Furthermore, the design of hydropower dams is based on historical and
current river flows. While their lifespan ranges from 50 to 100 years,
climate change is likely to alter future river flows within decades.
Modifications to existing large-scale dams to accommodate these
changes, however, are either technically infeasible or very expensive.
Dried up rivers or changing river courses could turn dams into
stranded assets, because they, unlike solar or wind installations,
cannot be moved.
A drought in 2011 caused a 28% reduction in hydropower output,
resulting in 1,000 factories and companies in Guizhou suspending
operations and showing even temporary reductions in water flows can
result in significant power shortages.
Damming international relationships
China's dam-building rush will have negative impacts on relationships
with neighboring countries. Furthermore, national hydropower
companies' overseas venture may harm China's international reputation.
China's territory encompasses parts of 18 of Asia's major
international river basins. Moreover, China's position along these
river basins is predominantly upstream, and, in the case of the
Brahmaputra, the Mekong, and the Salween, at the source.
Hydropower development in China therefore has international impact,
and affects China's relationships with its downstream riparian
neighbors, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand and Vietnam. The construction of cascades of large-scale
hydropower dams along rivers in China's territory affects the water
quantity and quality downstream. While the exact extent of these dams'
negative impact on water availability, fish populations and
consequently downstream populations may be unknown, the existence of
such effects is certain.
Upstream dams also provide some control over the timing and amount of
water flow in the rivers affected. People downstream therefore may
feel that Beijing, rather than nature, controls their water and their
welfare.
Admittedly, upstream China does not control the entire water flow of
these rivers as water volumes generally increase along
the river. Yet, as river basins are
highly complex, and the precise amounts of water inflows at particular
sections are hard to measure, citizens of countries downstream may
perceive China to be in full control.
Indian newspapers, for example, write of China's "superior upper
riparian positions" and "unique position of controlling international
rivers," and suspect the country of secretly diverting water from the
Yarlung-TsangpoRiver. In 2010, when severe drought hit the Mekong,
farmers and fishermen in countries downstream blamed China and its
hydropower stations for the disaster, despite China's assurance that
it collected only "4% of the river's water".
Regardless of the validity of these suspicions, given China's
geographic position, more hydropower construction will further strain
relationships with already apprehensive neighbors and nations
downstream.
Furthermore, for about a decade now, Chinese state-run hydropower
companies have increasingly looked abroad to market
the experience and technology gained in
domestic projects. More domestic dam building is likely to make these
companies even more internationally competitive as they gain further
technical expertise and financial resources. Yet, the nature of many
of these overseas ventures may harm China's international image.
As Europe and North America have turned away from the construction of
large dams, Chinese companies armed with newfound skills have sought
projects in other Asian, African and South American nations-many of
which lack strong legal and political institutions, environmental and
regulatory oversight and suffer from corruption and instability.
Chinese banks and companies currently are involved in about 300
projects in 66 countries, including Angola, Myanmar, Cambodia,
Ethiopia, Iran, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Due to these problems, many of
the projects are high risk, involve human rights violations by local
governments and fail to be built according to international
environmental and safety standards. In the long run, this reflects
negatively upon Chinese companies and ultimately the country as a whole.
The Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar illustrates this point.
Located in Kachin State, home to a strong separatist movement and site
of frequent, armed clashes between the Burmese military and the Kachin
Independence Army, the project was supposed to be financed and built
by the China Power Investment Corporation, before President Thein Sein
suspended it in 2011.
Myitsone holds a special cultural and religious significance for the
Kachin, who revere the area as the birthplace of their culture. Should
construction move forward, the result is likely to be viewed as a
symbol of China's lack of cultural sensibilities and disregard for
local minority groups.
Beijing's focus on hydropower to achieve energy and emission targets
largely ignores or downplays large-scale dams' negative impacts on the
climate, the country's adaptation ability and relations with neighbors
as well as China's international reputation. Yet, there are a range of
alternatives to large dams.
Greater focus on energy efficiency could provide huge energy savings.
For example, China's cement industry alone could achieve primary
energy savings of 23% through the implementation of international best
practices [7].
In the power sector, the government could accelerate its efforts to
replace small, inefficient power plants, with more efficient
supercritical and ultra-supercritical power plants, as well as
combined heat and electricity cogeneration plants. More efficient
appliances and lighting could reduce household electricity
consumption, a growing part of China's total consumption. This could
be achieved through programs similar to Energy Star in the United
States.
Additionally, all existing alternative energy infrastructure should be
connected to the power grid. As of 2011, 30% of China's wind power
capacity, for example, was not yet connected to the grid.
At the end of 2008, small hydropower plants numbered 50,000, many of
which were built decades ago and are equipped with outdated,
inefficient technology. Prior to building new projects, existing
infrastructure should be surveyed, and where
necessary retrofitted with new
technology to be more productive.
While less impressive in scale than highly visible mega-dams, these
alternatives could alleviate expected energy shortages, and help
Beijing achieve its targets without the negative consequences and
future risks associated with large-scale dams.
Notes
1. Twelfth Five Year Plan, available in Chinese here and English here.
2. William Steinhurst, Patrick Knight, and Melissa Schultz, Hydropower
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Cambridge, MA: Synapse Energy Economics,
February 14, 2012.
3. Ibid.
4. China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change,
Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of
China, October 2008.
5. Lester Brown, Eco-Economy: Building and Economy for the Earth, New
York : W.W. Norton, 2001, especially Chapter 2.
6. Qiang An, Yanqing Wu, Shauna Taylor and Bin Zhao, Influence of the
Three Gorges Dam on Saltwater Intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary,
Environmental Geology, No. 56, 2009, pp. 1679- 1686.
7. Lynn Price, Ali Hasanbeigi, Hongyou Lu, and Wang Lan, Analysis of
Energy-Efficiency Opportunities for the Cement Industry in Shandong
Province, China, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, October 2009.
Sabine Johnson-Reiser is a junior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace's Energy and Climate program. Her research focuses
on Chinese energy and climate policies. The views expressed in this
article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the
views of the Carnegie Endowment.
(This article first appeared in The Jamestown Foundation. Used with
permission.)
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By Sabine Johnson-Reiser
China's Jinsha River, literally the "Golden Sands" River, could soon
live up to its rich name. The approximately 2,300-kilometer long
upstream section of the Yangtze River is the site of up to 25 planned
large-scale (50 megawatt and above) hydropower projects.
China's state-run hydropower companies, local governments, and energy-
hungry cities in the more developed, eastern provinces stand to profit
from hydropower construction and electricity generation. Driven by
Beijing's energy and climate goals, this new dam building rush,
however, will reduce China's climate change adaptation capacity and
hurt relationships with neighboring countries without providing the
emission-free electricity Beijing is seeking.
China's status as the world's largest carbon-dioxide (CO2) emitter has
put increasing pressure-both domestic and international-on Beijing to
curb national emissions. In response, the government has laid out a
set of binding targets in the 12th Five Year Plan: an 11.4% increase
in the use of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption; a 16%
decrease in energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product
(GDP); and a 17% decrease in CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 2015 [1].
Now, China is looking for sources of clean, emission-free and
sustainable electricity to fulfill ever-growing demand and meet
renewable energy and emission targets. More large scale hydropower is
wrongly thought to be one such source. Consequently, dozens of
projects are planned or already under construction on a number of
rivers, including 26 on the Lancang, headwater of the Mekong, 13 on
the Nu, headwater of the Salween, and 28 on the Yarlung Tsangpo, the
headwater of the Brahmaputra.
Misguided hydropower
Addressing China's power sector - a major contributor to national
greenhouse gas emissions - is critical to reaching Beijing's emission
targets. A terawatt hour (TWh) of electricity generated in China
produces on average 70% more CO2 emissions than
a TWh generated in the United States,
and China's power sector accounted for almost 50% of the country's CO2
emissions in 2009. Developments in the power sector therefore will
have a significant impact on the country's emission trajectory.
The high carbon-intensity of China's electricity is due to the
sector's heavy reliance on coal, a very carbon-intensive fuel that is
used to generate around 80% of China's electricity. Hydropower
accounts for 16% of the country's electricity generation with nuclear,
wind and solar making up the remainder. Hydropower advocates argue
that shifting the energy mix from carbon-intensive coal to more
hydropower would benefit China's emission targets.
This argument relies on the still widespread "clean, sustainable and
emission-free hydropower" narrative. Even the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change tacitly supports this misconception by
making reports of greenhouse gas emissions from dam reservoirs
voluntary.
Studies however have shown that hydropower can be a major source of
greenhouse gas. Organic material from previously forested, but now
flooded land and washed up debris, accumulates and decomposes in the
dam reservoirs, thereby releasing large amounts of methane, a potent
greenhouse gas.
This problem particularly affects hydropower projects in tropical
areas, where the vegetation is generally denser and more organic
material is accumulated in reservoirs. Some hydropower facilities in
tropical areas emit up to twice as much carbon dioxide per unit of
electricity as coal fired power plants [2].
As most of China's planned hydropower projects are located in densely
forested, subtropical southern and southwestern provinces, new dam
reservoirs are likely to become significant emission sources.
Making adaptation harder
The 12th Five Year Plan also addresses climate change adaptation
strategies. Beijing wants to strengthen the country's "capacity to
cope with extreme climate incidents," thereby enhancing China's
climate change adaptation capacity [3]. Yet, the construction of more
dams will decrease China's capacity to cope with extreme climate
incidents, which are predicted to include more-frequent and more-
severe record floods and droughts [4].
First, the impacts of large-scale dams on wetlands and human
settlement patterns limit China's adaptation capacity - the ability to
moderate potential damages or cope with the consequences of climate
change - as they expose millions of people to climate change related
risks.
To maximize power production, dams store water during the wet season
and release it during the dry season. This alteration of natural river
flow patterns impacts the health of natural flood storage systems,
such as downstream wetlands, lakes and marshes, often leading to their
disappearance. Thus, dams reduce the frequency of smaller floods, but
also decrease or eliminate wetlands' natural capacity to absorb water
and thus mitigate severe floods.
In addition, dams enable the conversion of wetlands to agricultural
farmland and provide downstream cities with electricity and water for
irrigation, industrial and household purposes, enabling and
encouraging their development and growth.
Hydropower development therefore contributes to population growth in
downstream areas, which simultaneously increases the number of people
at risk of dam failure as changing precipitation patterns could lead
to floods that may exceed the storage capacity of dams upstream.
The controversial Three Gorges Dam is a case in point. With a capacity
of 22.5 GW, the dam can generate up to 84.7 billion kWh of electricity
for cities in central, southern and eastern China, including the
downstream metropolis of Shanghai. While its reservoir supplied the
population in the middle and lower Yangtze with a steady source of
water, it also contributed to the drying up of Dongting and Poyang
Lake, two of China's largest freshwater lakes, during the 2011 drought.
Although the dam withstood its first major flood test in 2010, whether
the Three Gorges Dam will be able to contain future, possibly worse,
floods is uncertain\. If it fails, downstream residents will not be
able to rely on natural floodplains to mitigate the impact with
possibly disastrous consequences for life and property.
Second, the operation of large-scale dams exacerbates droughts in
downstream areas. In theory, reservoirs could provide short-term
drought relief, by releasing stored water for use downstream. Yet,
below a certain water level, the primary objective of hydropower
operators-maximizing electricity generation-suffers.
The fact that the central government had to order the China Three
Gorges Corporation to release water from the reservoir to alleviate
the severe drought downstream in 2011 suggests that hydropower
operators are likely to put power generation
ahead of drought relief.
Third, dams make it harder for coastal cities to adapt to rising sea
levels. As freshwater is held back in reservoirs upstream, natural
water outflows at river deltas are reduced, contributing to a fall in
coastal groundwater tables. Combined with rising sea levels, this
makes coastal delta regions more susceptible to saltwater intrusion,
which contaminates coastal freshwater aquifers and makes water unfit
for human consumption [5].
More dams could exacerbate future saltwater intrusion challenges for
many coastal Chinese cities brought on by rising sea levels. Shanghai,
located in the Yangtze River Delta, is already experiencing saltwater
intrusion, which research has linked to variations in water discharge
from the Three Gorges Dam [6].
Lastly, the expensive and long-lasting nature of hydropower
infrastructure makes it difficult or impossible to adapt them to
future changes in the environment,
agricultural and economic activities and human settlement patterns.
Large-scale dam construction is very costly. The record-setting Three
Gorges Dam cost approximately $25 billion. Even smaller projects like
the planned Xiaonanhai Dam on the Upper Yangtze cost up to $5.6
billion. China Post Securities analyst Shao Minghui estimates the
hydropower sector will need around $136 billion in infrastructure
investment by 2020.
The sheer size of this kind of investments often prompts path
dependency - the preference to continue even if better
alternatives are available - as
investors look to realize promised returns on investment, and local
governments are unwilling to admit that there may have been better
development alternatives.
Furthermore, the design of hydropower dams is based on historical and
current river flows. While their lifespan ranges from 50 to 100 years,
climate change is likely to alter future river flows within decades.
Modifications to existing large-scale dams to accommodate these
changes, however, are either technically infeasible or very expensive.
Dried up rivers or changing river courses could turn dams into
stranded assets, because they, unlike solar or wind installations,
cannot be moved.
A drought in 2011 caused a 28% reduction in hydropower output,
resulting in 1,000 factories and companies in Guizhou suspending
operations and showing even temporary reductions in water flows can
result in significant power shortages.
Damming international relationships
China's dam-building rush will have negative impacts on relationships
with neighboring countries. Furthermore, national hydropower
companies' overseas venture may harm China's international reputation.
China's territory encompasses parts of 18 of Asia's major
international river basins. Moreover, China's position along these
river basins is predominantly upstream, and, in the case of the
Brahmaputra, the Mekong, and the Salween, at the source.
Hydropower development in China therefore has international impact,
and affects China's relationships with its downstream riparian
neighbors, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand and Vietnam. The construction of cascades of large-scale
hydropower dams along rivers in China's territory affects the water
quantity and quality downstream. While the exact extent of these dams'
negative impact on water availability, fish populations and
consequently downstream populations may be unknown, the existence of
such effects is certain.
Upstream dams also provide some control over the timing and amount of
water flow in the rivers affected. People downstream therefore may
feel that Beijing, rather than nature, controls their water and their
welfare.
Admittedly, upstream China does not control the entire water flow of
these rivers as water volumes generally increase along
the river. Yet, as river basins are
highly complex, and the precise amounts of water inflows at particular
sections are hard to measure, citizens of countries downstream may
perceive China to be in full control.
Indian newspapers, for example, write of China's "superior upper
riparian positions" and "unique position of controlling international
rivers," and suspect the country of secretly diverting water from the
Yarlung-TsangpoRiver. In 2010, when severe drought hit the Mekong,
farmers and fishermen in countries downstream blamed China and its
hydropower stations for the disaster, despite China's assurance that
it collected only "4% of the river's water".
Regardless of the validity of these suspicions, given China's
geographic position, more hydropower construction will further strain
relationships with already apprehensive neighbors and nations
downstream.
Furthermore, for about a decade now, Chinese state-run hydropower
companies have increasingly looked abroad to market
the experience and technology gained in
domestic projects. More domestic dam building is likely to make these
companies even more internationally competitive as they gain further
technical expertise and financial resources. Yet, the nature of many
of these overseas ventures may harm China's international image.
As Europe and North America have turned away from the construction of
large dams, Chinese companies armed with newfound skills have sought
projects in other Asian, African and South American nations-many of
which lack strong legal and political institutions, environmental and
regulatory oversight and suffer from corruption and instability.
Chinese banks and companies currently are involved in about 300
projects in 66 countries, including Angola, Myanmar, Cambodia,
Ethiopia, Iran, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Due to these problems, many of
the projects are high risk, involve human rights violations by local
governments and fail to be built according to international
environmental and safety standards. In the long run, this reflects
negatively upon Chinese companies and ultimately the country as a whole.
The Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar illustrates this point.
Located in Kachin State, home to a strong separatist movement and site
of frequent, armed clashes between the Burmese military and the Kachin
Independence Army, the project was supposed to be financed and built
by the China Power Investment Corporation, before President Thein Sein
suspended it in 2011.
Myitsone holds a special cultural and religious significance for the
Kachin, who revere the area as the birthplace of their culture. Should
construction move forward, the result is likely to be viewed as a
symbol of China's lack of cultural sensibilities and disregard for
local minority groups.
Beijing's focus on hydropower to achieve energy and emission targets
largely ignores or downplays large-scale dams' negative impacts on the
climate, the country's adaptation ability and relations with neighbors
as well as China's international reputation. Yet, there are a range of
alternatives to large dams.
Greater focus on energy efficiency could provide huge energy savings.
For example, China's cement industry alone could achieve primary
energy savings of 23% through the implementation of international best
practices [7].
In the power sector, the government could accelerate its efforts to
replace small, inefficient power plants, with more efficient
supercritical and ultra-supercritical power plants, as well as
combined heat and electricity cogeneration plants. More efficient
appliances and lighting could reduce household electricity
consumption, a growing part of China's total consumption. This could
be achieved through programs similar to Energy Star in the United
States.
Additionally, all existing alternative energy infrastructure should be
connected to the power grid. As of 2011, 30% of China's wind power
capacity, for example, was not yet connected to the grid.
At the end of 2008, small hydropower plants numbered 50,000, many of
which were built decades ago and are equipped with outdated,
inefficient technology. Prior to building new projects, existing
infrastructure should be surveyed, and where
necessary retrofitted with new
technology to be more productive.
While less impressive in scale than highly visible mega-dams, these
alternatives could alleviate expected energy shortages, and help
Beijing achieve its targets without the negative consequences and
future risks associated with large-scale dams.
Notes
1. Twelfth Five Year Plan, available in Chinese here and English here.
2. William Steinhurst, Patrick Knight, and Melissa Schultz, Hydropower
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Cambridge, MA: Synapse Energy Economics,
February 14, 2012.
3. Ibid.
4. China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change,
Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of
China, October 2008.
5. Lester Brown, Eco-Economy: Building and Economy for the Earth, New
York : W.W. Norton, 2001, especially Chapter 2.
6. Qiang An, Yanqing Wu, Shauna Taylor and Bin Zhao, Influence of the
Three Gorges Dam on Saltwater Intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary,
Environmental Geology, No. 56, 2009, pp. 1679- 1686.
7. Lynn Price, Ali Hasanbeigi, Hongyou Lu, and Wang Lan, Analysis of
Energy-Efficiency Opportunities for the Cement Industry in Shandong
Province, China, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, October 2009.
Sabine Johnson-Reiser is a junior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace's Energy and Climate program. Her research focuses
on Chinese energy and climate policies. The views expressed in this
article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the
views of the Carnegie Endowment.
(This article first appeared in The Jamestown Foundation. Used with
permission.)
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You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org
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