Hydroelectricity in the United Kingdom

The Dinorwig Power Station lower reservoir, a 1,800 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, in north Wales, and the largest hydroelectric power station in the UK

Hydroelectricity accounted for 21% of electricity generation from renewable sources in the United Kingdom (2009)^[1]

As of 2012, hydroelectric power stations in the United Kingdom accounted for 1.65 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, being 1.8% of the UK's total generating capacity and 18% of UK's renewable energy generating capacity. This includes four conventional hydroelectric power stations and run-of-river schemes for which annual electricity production is approximately 5,000 GWh, being about 1.3% of the UK's total electricity production.^[2] In addition, there are also pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations providing a further 2.8 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, and contributing up to 4,075 GWh of peak demand electricity annually.^[3]

The potential for further practical and viable hydroelectricity power stations in the UK is estimated to be in the region of 146 to 248 MW for England and Wales,^[4] and up to 2,593 MW for Scotland.^[5] However, by the very nature of the remote and rugged geographic locations of some of these potential sites, in national parks or other areas of outstanding natural beauty, it is likely that environmental concerns would mean that a large number of them would be deemed not to be suitable, or could not be developed to their full theoretical potential.

Interest in hydropower in the UK has been renewed in recent years due to new UK and EU targets for reductions in carbon emissions and the promotion of renewable energy power generation through commercial incentives such as the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme (ROCs) and Feed in tariffs (FITs). Prior to such schemes, studies to assess the available hydro resources in the UK had discounted a large number of sites for reasons of poor economic or technological viability, but more recent studies in 2008 and 2010 by the British Hydro Association (BHA) have identified a larger number of viable sites due to improvements in the available technology and the economic of ROCs and FITSs^[4][5]

Schemes up to 50 kW are eligible for FITs, and schemes over 5 MW are eligible for ROCs. Schemes between 50 kW and 5 MW can choose between either. The UK Government’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan of July 2010 envisages between 40 MW and 50 MW a year of new hydropower schemes being installed annually up to 2020. The most recent feedback for new hydro schemes is for 2009, and approximately 15 MW of new hydropower was installed during that year. It therefore remains to be seen if the ROC and FIT incentives will be enough for these ambitious targets to be met.^[2]

Statistics for UK hydroelectric schemes

• 
  United Kingdom gross electricity supplied from Hydro between 1920 and 2012 (GWh), including for pumped-storage schemes.^[3]
• 
  United Kingdom annual electricity generation from hydroelectricity between 1990 and 2012 (GW hours), excluding pumped-storage schemes.^[1]
• 
  United Kingdom net installed hydroelectricity capacity between 1990 and 2012 (MW), excluding pumped-storage schemes.^[1]

List of UK hydroelectric schemes over 1,000 kW

See also

Related Lists

• List of power stations in Scotland#Hydro-electric
• List of power stations in England#Hydroelectric power
• List of power stations in Wales#Hydro-electric
• List of conventional hydroelectric power stations
• List of pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations

Related UK pages

• Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
• Energy policy of the United Kingdom
• Green electricity in the United Kingdom
• Renewable energy in the United Kingdom
• Wind power in the United Kingdom
• Solar power in the United Kingdom
• Geothermal power in the United Kingdom
• Renewable energy in Scotland

Other related

• Environmental impact of wind power
• Friends of the Earth
• Relative cost of electricity generated by different sources
• Renewable Electricity and the Grid
• Renewable energy in the European Union
• Renewable energy by country
• United Kingdom National Renewable Energy Action Plan

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hydropower in the United Kingdom.

• British Hydropower Association
• International Hydropower Association
• Hydropower Reform Coalition
• Interactive demonstration on the effects of dams on rivers
• European Small Hydropower Association

Hydropower
Hydroelectricity generation	Dam List of conventional hydroelectric power stations Pumped-storage hydroelectricity Small hydro Micro hydro Pico hydro
Hydroelectricity equipment	Francis turbine Kaplan turbine Tyson turbine Gorlov helical turbine Pelton wheel Turgo turbine Banki turbine Water wheel