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What is Run-of-River Power Generation?
Hydro power projects using run-of-river technology are built on rivers that maintain a steady, consistent flow, either naturally or by storing water in a large reservoir at the head of the river, which provides a steady flow of water for power stations down-river.
Unlike traditional hydroelectric facilities, such as dams, run of river projects do not require damming of water. When large dams are built, the flow of the dammed river is radically changed and large areas of land are often flooded, including wildlife habitat and vegetation.
In run-of-the river projects, some water is diverted from the river, sent into an enclosed pipe-called a penstock-that delivers water to hydraulic turbines, located downhill. The natural force of gravity in a run of river project creates energy required to spin the turbines that generate electricity. Water leaves the generating station and returns to the river without altering existing flow or water levels.
The BC Hydro Clean Call aligns with the February 27, 2007 British Columbia Energy Plan, which indicates that at least 90% of all electricity generated in British Columbia must continue to come from renewable and clean sources. The act also expects the Province to achieve electricity self-sufficiency by 2016.
Run-of-river power generation offers long operational life-times for power plant in excess of 25 years with minimal maintenance. For smaller, grid-connected systems the payback time on original investment is often just a few years.
Another advantage to run-of-river power generation is that this green electricity generation is far more consistent than wind or solar power systems because electrical power can be generated 24 hours a day every day of the year.
Low or non-polluting, climate-friendly energy, must be a major component of any strategy to reduce the world's dependence upon fossil fuels and moving towards sustainable energy generation in the future. In order to be considered "green power" it must be generated using renewable resources and also have minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
Syntaris Power Corporation has developed three core projects for submission to the BC Hydro Clean Call for Power. These renewable energy projects represent a total estimated capacity of 104 Megawatts of electrical power. All three run-of-river projects offer easy access to the existing power transmission grid. By clustering its projects in a localized area, Syntaris can capture economies of scale with lower infrastructure and construction while leaving a minimal footprint on the environment.
Hydroelectricity can be very efficient and clean. Several technologies for converting the energy of moving water into electrical power are currently being used throughout the world. Hydroelectricity has been an important component of the energy systems throughout Canada and around the world for many years.
About the Author Syntaris Power Corporation has developed three core projects for submission to the BC Hydro Clean Call for Power. These renewable energy projects represent a total estimated capacity of 104 Megawatts of electrical power.
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