Hydraulic energy: its definition, advantages and disadvantages
Hydraulic energy comes from the force and movement of water (rivers, waterfalls, waves and sea currents) which makes it possible to produce electrical energy. This movement is integrated into a mechanical production process, direct and indirect, such as electrical energy in hydroelectric power stations. The production of hydroelectricity is one of the first sources of renewable energies in France and in the world. The inventory of the hydraulic sector and its future prospects in the French and global energy mix must meet energy transition objectives. And be one of the answers to the fight against global warming.
What is hydropower?
Water is the element of life par excellence: for its vital function for human beings, but also for its tremendous potential for energy production.
Definition of hydraulic energy
Hydraulic energy uses the kinetic force of moving water in all its forms (waterfalls, currents in rivers and other waterways) to produce energy. This process is an indirect manifestation of solar energy and the Moon's gravitational force in the life cycle of water: solar energy causes water vapors from the oceans and seas, which turn into clouds and are pushed by the wind to turn into rain and snow that feed the lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. Thus, it is the conjunction of several sources of renewable energies which participate indirectly in the production of hydraulic energy.
The power of water has been used since Antiquity via water mills to provide mechanical energy - direct ie without further transformation - for the manufacture of paper or grinding grain, drawing water, etc.
The advent of the industrial era in the 19th century saw the first uses of hydraulic energy through dams, produced by falling water in hydroelectric power stations.
These are the first experiments in the transformation of renewable energy – hydraulic energy – into electrical energy via hydroelectric power stations. This industry – known as white coal – took off at the start of the 20th century, encouraged by the development of the electricity network in France.
How does hydropower work?
Renewable hydropower can be compared to wind power in its mode of operation. The water produces a movement that activates turbines whose continuous movement - and under the pressure of the force of the water - allows the production of energy.
Water pressure is essential in the process of producing hydraulic energy, since the greater it is, the faster and greater the movement will be.
This energy is then used directly in a mechanical production process (the case of water mills used in agriculture for example) or indirectly, in a larger process to produce a second energy such as electrical energy.
Transforming hydraulic energy into electricity, is it possible?
What is the place of the hydraulic sector in France and in the world? What are the different hydraulic installations and possible development prospects?
The hydroelectric production sector in France
Hydroelectric energy and its production sector represents nearly 19% of electricity production in the world, which makes it the 3rd source of electrical energy production worldwide behind coal (40%) and gas (20%).
Hydraulic energy in France has suffered a sharp decline in its production since the 20th century, since in the 1950s, 56% of electricity production came from hydraulic energy. Today, it is struggling to find its place in the face of the nuclear fleet, the production sector of which represents nearly 75% of electricity production compared to 13% for the hydraulic sector.
However, renewable hydropower in France still has great potential for exploitation.
Its production percentage remains well below some of its European neighbors or in the world. Like countries such as Norway and Switzerland, which have nearly 50% of their electricity production from hydropower. Or the case of China whose exponential production growth is 12% per year. The Three Gorges Dam located in the heart of China, on the Yangtze River, extends over 2335 meters in length and 185 meters in height, and is equipped with 2 hydropower plants that can produce more than 98.8 TWh ( 2014) per year. Which makes it the largest hydroelectric power station in the world!
By comparison, the potential for hydroelectric power generation in France is 60-70 TW per year. A less important score certainly, but which must be put into perspective in the face of the various facilities available and possible to put in place.
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Hydroelectric power needs a set of facilities that works optimally to generate electricity. In France, 640 dams are used to produce electricity. In France, the exploitation of hydraulic energy mainly involves lake power stations and run-of-river power stations.
Lake power plants offer great production potential, especially in the event of consumption peaks. They can in fact mobilize large resources, in a very short time (9000 MW in a few minutes). They are made up of:
- A dam whose role is to block the natural flow of water, retain it and store it;
- Water pipes via a set of pipes to direct the flow of water artificially towards the hydraulic power station located below the dam;
- From hydropower plant where water is routed to a specific point to turn turbines. Driven by the force of the water, the turbines turn an alternator which produces alternating electric current;
- Transformer , used to manage the voltage of alternating electric current so that it can be transported via very high voltage lines.
The water used has not undergone any actual transformation and is free of CO2 emissions. It reintegrates the life cycle of water to be reused during the next phases of hydraulic energy production.
A hydroelectric plant allows its production to be modulated according to the demand for energy consumption. This is thanks to its water tank which allows the electric power produced to be adjusted upwards or downwards.
Hydropower can be used in other types of facilities, such as run-of-river power plants.
The different ways of using hydraulic energy
Several types of facilities are used to produce hydroelectric energy:
Alongside these 4 large hydraulic installations, there are other types of installation which exploit the energy produced by water: tidal and tidal power stations (among others) which use the movements of water from the seas and oceans to produce electrical energy. These renewable energies are called marine energies.
The case of marine energies
Marine energies or blue energies represent tremendous development potential for the renewable energy sector in France and around the world. They can therefore participate in the ongoing energy transition; but the growing interest in this renewable energy still needs to materialize through large-scale industrial projects.
This will require finding control over the movements of the oceans and seas, which is far from easy.
The following potential installations can be mentioned:
The impact of hydropower
The production of electricity from hydraulic energy offers many advantages but also negative effects, like any type of production exploited on an industrial scale (e.g. coal mines, gas fields, exploitation of petroleum, etc). Can these harmful consequences curb the development potential of the hydraulic energy sector?
Advantages and disadvantages of hydropower
The advantages of hydraulic energy:
Conversely, here are some negative impacts of this energy:
What solutions to limit the negative effects of this renewable energy?
To limit their impacts, hydroelectric power plants must meet legal obligations, which can be found in the law on water and aquatic environments (Lema) of December 30, 2006. This law establishes a legislative framework with regard to the challenges environmental and ecological:
The future of the hydraulic sector in France and around the world
The hydroelectric energy sector represents for France nearly 13% of the overall electricity production, which makes it the 1st renewable source of electricity used in France, and the second behind nuclear energy in the mix. energy.
The whole of the hydroelectric park represents nearly 20% of the total electric power in France for an “average” electric production capacity of 12% per year. Why average? Because renewable hydraulic energy is highly dependent on hydrological conditions, which generates strong disparities from one year to the next and can represent a strong handicap for the development of the sector.
However, the latest panorama of renewable electricity published in September 2019 draws up a nuanced inventory, with strong objectives for the hydraulic sector and all the renewable energy sectors in France (wind and solar in mind).
We thus note in this report the strong growth in the electrical production capacity of the wind farm (15.9 GW of production) and solar (9.2 GW). And the stabilization of the hydraulic sector (25.6 GW). The latter keeps its leading position but what is its future in France?
The hydraulic sector has many advantages – modular, storage, zero CO2 emissions, renewable – however it is limited by its production facilities. If it has reached its full capacity, marine energies are still at the beginning of their exploitation. Will the development promises come from there to reach the 30% share of renewable energies in France by 2030 and facilitate the energy transition?
The quantitative objectives and guidelines set by the Multiannual Energy Program (PPE) to be achieved for the hydraulic sector are:
- Increase hydroelectricity production from 2 to 3 TWh by 2023 and production capacity from 500 to 750 MW;
- To preserve the flexibility of production of hydroelectric energy, while integrating new renewable energies;
- Continue to reconcile environmental issues and the production of renewable energy;
- Continue the development of the hydroelectric sector through a system of calls for tenders;
- Develop WWTPs to increase energy storage capacity.
If there is development of the hydraulic sector, it will also come to the rest of the world. At the global level, the hydraulic sector represents nearly 20% of electricity production and its global potential is far from being exploited.
Pierre-Louis Viollet, director of the EDF Research and Development department, says that all eyes should be on the African continent, Asia, Russia and South America (source: article Pour la Science).
And even reach 14,600 TWh if we invest massively in the construction of new installations, ie almost 75% of the world's electricity consumption!
Electricity offers from hydraulic energy
Green electricity offers from energy suppliers are not all 100% from the hydraulic sector.
Some do, like Electricité de Provence or Energies d'Ici, but most offer a mix of renewable energies (wind, solar and hydraulic).
Nevertheless, all green electricity offers are certified by Guarantees of Origin, by which the electricity supplier undertakes to inject into the network the equivalent in green electricity of what has been consumed by the customer.
Vendor | Subscription price (excl. VAT) | Price per kWh (excl. VAT) | Our opinion |
---|---|---|---|
☎️ 09 74 59 46 30Subscribe | Same as blue tariff | -8% compared to the blue rate | The 100% Online & Green offer combines connectivity and a very competitive price |
☎️ 09 71 07 14 21Free callback | -15% with the Small Conso offer | -11% with the Classic offer | An innovative supplier, with special Linky offers and personalized consumer monitoring |
Contact | No guaranteed reduction compared to the blue rate | -5% compared to the blue EDF tariff | Electricity from renewable sources exclusively produced in the PACA region |
☎️ 09 87 67 52 32 Free call back | Higher than regulated tariffs | Much cheaper than the blue rate | 1st platform for buying and selling electricity "directly" from producer to consumer. Hydraulic, wind or solar electricity. |
Contact | Higher than regulated tariffs | Cheaper than blue rate | A group of hydroelectricity producers offering electricity at a competitive price |
Examples of green electricity offers in France, classified by price per kWh, from the cheapest to the most expensive.