Surge in UK Hydropower Schemes

Thirty-one new licences for energy schemes in rivers were granted in 2009, compared to just five in 2000. The EA has already issued 29 licences this year and is considering a further 166 applications, as businesses and communities attempt to cash in on a new Government incentive which pays people for generating electricity from small-scale renewables.

In total, there are around 400 hydropower schemes in England and Wales and the EA estimates the number could rise to 1,200 by 2020. Small-scale hydropower currently produces enough electricity to power 120,000 homes in the UK, but could produce significantly more.

Earlier this year, the agency identified thousands of hotspots for hydropower schemes which could each provide clean energy for dozens of homes and benefit from ‘feed-in tariffs', which pay people for generating electricity from small-scale renewable technology. The feed-in tariffs scheme, which came into force in April, could pay around GBP25,000 a year for a medium-sized hydropower project which would cost around GBP100,000 to GBP150,000 to install, the Environment Agency said.

The organisation said many areas were not suitable for installing hydropower because it could damage the environment, harm fish or increase the risk of flooding. The EA identified more than 4,000 places where sensitively designed schemes incorporating fish passes (enabling species such as salmon to navigate around the turbine or other technology) could provide a win-win situation for the environment. Sustainable hydropower schemes are those with a fish-friendly turbine (such as an Archimedes screw) or adequate screening, safe passage for fish where needed, sufficient water flow to maintain the river ecology and a design that does not harm flood management or land drainage.

At a speech to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) National Hydropower conference last month, EA chairman Lord Chris Smith described how hydropower presents a unique set of challenges. "It is a great example of a natural resource which produces few wastes. It is a reliable and proven technology and is increasingly attractive to local communities. But it can have a big impact on fish, in particular migratory fish. It can increase the risk of flooding. The change in the quantity of water in a river can have impacts on the wider ecology. On top of that, climate change may impact on the future flow of rivers."

He told delegates: "The challenge is to encourage the deployment of renewables, build public confidence, meet obligations on nature conservation and the environment and not increase the risk of flooding. For the Environment Agency there is an extra challenge: to regulate these technologies in a simple and efficient way. We are committed to getting the regulatory balance right - making it as easy as possible for organisations to apply for hydropower permits while still protecting the local environment."