Hydroelectricity as an Alternative Source of Power to Fossil Fuels

In this part, we are going to examine hydroelectricity as an alternative source of power to fossil fuels in terms of Turkey’s technology assessments for climate change. Turkey has rugged terrain conditions and more than 25 river basins (International Hydropower Association, 2014). This makes Turkey one of the largest potential hydroelectricity producers.

Hydropower as a Renewable Energy Option to Replace Fossil Fuels

According to the World Energy Council report in 2016, Turkey is the 15th country in terms of unutilized hydropower potential (World Energy Council, 2016, World Energy Resources Hydropower). On one hand, there is the fact of the high hydroelectricity potential, but on the other hand, there is also a high demand for energy. Among OECD member countries, Turkey has had the highest rate of growing energy demand over the last 15 years (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2016, Turkey’s Energy Profile and Strategy). Since Turkey has no large fossil fuel reserves, it must either import them or move towards renewable energy sources such as hydroelectricity, even without considering the impacts on climate change.

To acknowledge the importance of renewable energy sources like hydroelectricity, it is worth mentioning that Turkey’s electricity generation still mainly depends on 29.1% coal and 37.9% natural gas, even though the rate of hydro sources is above the world average at 25.6% (Turkish Statistical Institute, 2015, Electricity generation and shares by energy resources). Turkey has 613 hydroelectric power plants and plans to increase the percentage of electricity from hydroelectric power with new plants (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, 2017, Electricity). This transition is crucial for reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

Impacts of Hydroelectricity in Turkey

To present any assessments on hydroelectricity in Turkey, it is significant to first understand its effects. Hydroelectric power plants reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, hence reducing CO2 emissions. However, they have several impacts on nature and human life. In Turkey’s case, we are going to explain two possible effects with examples.

Ecosystem Damage

The first negative effect is ecosystem damage. For instance, according to the report on “salmo coruhensis,” a migratory fish, the hydroelectric power plants on the northeast coast of Turkey have reduced their living spaces due to corrupted basins. Since this fish migrates from many parts of the world, its damage to the ecosystem can be seen as global (Ministry of Forestry and Water Management Rize Branch Directorate, 2013, Salmo coruhensis). It is crucial to conduct detailed environmental impact assessments before constructing new hydroelectric projects to mitigate such adverse effects.

Construction Failures

The second possible impact is construction failure during or after the construction phase. If construction fails in terms of big dams, the damages can be irreversible for both the ecosystem and human life, potentially leading to casualties. For instance, in 1975, China experienced a major disaster caused by a dam failure, resulting in almost 26,000 deaths (Osnos, 2011, Faust, China, and Nuclear Power). This highlights the importance of robust engineering standards and thorough safety assessments in hydroelectric projects.

Conclusion

In our opinion, even though there are many impacts of hydroelectric power plants, the real question is: are they worth building as a substitution for fossil fuels? The answer is still open to debate because of the negative impacts. From a technological point of view, construction techniques should be guaranteed due to the irreversibility of possible damages. To make a choice about hydropower, technology assessments are important, but they are not the most important issue. Here, the real issue is that when governments or private enterprises invest in hydropower, they know they are damaging nature by destroying the balance of the ecosystem and causing deforestation by cutting down trees to build new hydroelectric power plants. Ultimately, a balanced approach that includes both technological innovation and environmental conservation is essential for sustainable energy development.

References

International Hydropower Association. (2014). Retrieved from International Hydropower Association.

World Energy Council. (2016). World Energy Resources Hydropower. Retrieved from World Energy Council.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2016). Turkey’s Energy Profile and Strategy. Retrieved from Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Turkish Statistical Institute. (2015). Electricity generation and shares by energy resources. Retrieved from Turkish Statistical Institute.

Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. (2017). Electricity. Retrieved from Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

Ministry of Forestry and Water Management Rize Branch Directorate. (2013). Salmo coruhensis. Retrieved from Ministry of Forestry and Water Management.

Osnos, E. (2011). Faust, China, and Nuclear Power. Retrieved from The New Yorker.