RENEWABLE ENERGY: WORLD SMALL HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2013 – CARIBBEAN REPORT. A new web-based knowledge sharing portal on small hydropower that features best practices from different regions of the world. by Sven Homscheid, Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme, St. Lucia, West Indies @ smallhydroworld.org/index.php?id=386 Within the Lesser Antilles, no new small hydropower development could be observed within the last 15 years. The contribution of renewable energy to the electricity supply is marginal on most islands. Only in Dominica, Guadeloupe and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does small hydropower contribute to the electricity supply, with hydropower in Dominica contributing to a third of the island’s electricity supply. The Greater Antilles differ in this retrospect to the Lesser Antilles and thus, experience a more mature small hydropower sector, the majority of the small hydropower plants are located in Puerto Rico and Cuba, followed by Jamaica. In the Dominican Republic, small and micro hydropower plants are planned or under construction. Grenada used to have hydro wheels to operate mills, but none of the early power stations are now in operation and its National Energy Policy does not mention hydropower explicitly. In the future, Cuba is looking into the possibility of assembling necessary hydropower equipment within Cuba and study experiences of hybrid solutions such as pico-turbines, small wind turbines and solar panels. Both Cuba and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are planning to upgrade their old hydropower plants. The whole Caribbean Region has about 124 MW installed small hydropower capacity and a known small hydropower potential of around 252 MW (table 2). Cuba is planning to increase its hydropower capacity by 30.5 MW between 2011 and 2015, through the development of 14 new projects and 4 refurbishments (see Cuba report). Small hydropower development activities are also ongoing in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In early 2013, a study on the small hydropower potential of Saint Lucia was completed, and the Dominica report is expected to be available soon. While both countries currently have no plans for new small hydropower projects, it is expected that, once the potential is known, interest in its development will grow. The general tone of the region suggests that the renewable energy sector will expand in the future with the help of improved information access and strengthened regulatory frameworks. In addition, rural potential for small hydropower provides a promising growth of small hydropower use within the region, despite the fact that some locations will be hindered by natural calamities. ************************************************* A new web-based knowledge sharing portal on small hydropower that features best practices from different regions of the world has been launched by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Centre on Small Hydro Power (ICSHP). It contains 20 regional overviews and 149 country-level reports. The portal identifies the world’s small hydropower development status and its potential in different countries and regions. The portal features UNIDO/ICSHP’s World Small Hydropower Development Report 2013 (WSHPDR 2013). The knowledge portal can be accessed at: smallhydroworld.org/ Source: smallhydroworld.org/index.php?id=386
Posted on: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 04:04:41 +0000
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