Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 880: The Contribution of Small Hydropower Plants in Clean Electrification: Current Status and Future Prospects for Greece
Energies doi: 10.3390/en19040880
Authors:
John K. Kaldellis
The expected fossil fuel reserves, along with the continuous environmental degradation, underline the necessity to turn to more environmentally friendly energy resources. However, the significant exploitation of variable or even stochastic solar and wind potential challenges the market balance and the stability of most electrical networks. On the other hand, hydropower stands out, for almost one century, with its contribution to the global annual electricity consumption being nowadays almost 15%. In Greece, acknowledging the stagnation noted in the last fifteen years in the exploitation of the existing hydropower potential through large hydropower plants, small hydropower applications come to the forefront for revitalizing the pertinent total hydropower growth rates. Nevertheless, the relevant potential remains strongly under-exploited. The present work investigates the current status of the small hydropower potential exploitation with special focus on Greece, considering aspects such as the installed capacity and the geographical distribution of the corresponding power plants, their annual energy generation, and their pertinent Capacity Factors’ time evolution. The financial support schemes offered in the past by the Greek State are also investigated in comparison with the current status. The current progress and challenges of small hydropower installations are thoroughly scrutinized, thus revealing the future prospects and substantial benefits that could occur from both carbon-free, relatively stable electricity generation and a financial perspective.