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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	JOULE/1/3
Title	North-West Hydro Resource Model
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Renewable Energy Sources(Hydropower, Large hydropower (capacity of 10 MW and above)) 50%; Renewable Energy Sources(Hydropower, Small hydropower (less than 10 MW)) 50%;
Research Types	Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Dr GA (George ) Aggidis No email address given Engineering Lancaster University
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	Joule Centre
Start Date	15 May 2006
End Date	12 November 2008
Duration	27 months
Total Grant Value	£290,229
Industrial Sectors	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Region	North West
Programme
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Dr GA (George ) Aggidis , Engineering, Lancaster University (100.000%)
Web Site	http://www.engineering.lancs.ac.uk/lureg/nwhrm/index.php
Objectives	Objectives not supplied
Abstract	Hydro power is a mature and proven technology that helped shape the landscape of North-West England and is responsible for producing some 5.5% of the worlds primary energy consumption. However, since the end of the 19th century its use in the region has declined but the resource that supported the Industrial Revolution is still contained within the landscape and can be harnessed to our advantage. In order for the UK to meet its ambitious targets for energy production from renewable sources (10% of electricity by 2010, 15% by 2020) it needs to expand its capacity to generate all forms of renewable energy and hydro power can make a significant contribution to this. The North West is particularly well suited to hydro schemes because of its consistent rainfall and suitable drainage systems meaning there is great scope for new schemes in the region. Despite this currently only about 1.6 MW, or about 1.4% of the regions renewable capacity about 1.4% of the regions renewable capacity is generated by hydro. This aims of this project were to develop a tool to help assess potential capacity for hydro schemes in specific locations and define methods to overcome the obstacles to its development (e.g. regulations, public acceptance etc). These obstacles can be thought of as a series of questions that would be posed when deciding whether to develop hydro schemes or not. The questions require expertise from a number of disciplines to answer with sufficient confidence and their responses included in an economic evaluation to assess the projects feasibility. This project brings together knowledge and best practice from all of these areas to form a tool which guides the user through each step of planning a hydro project. It also allows users to assess the economic viability of specific projects quickly and easily by inputting just a few characteristics of their considered site. It is intended that the project will form a framework on which other projects will hang in order to investigate new turbine designs, the impacts of climate change on NW hydrology, standardised environmental impact assessment and the dynamics of public attitudes. There are a number of potential users for the resource model and these will each have different perspectives. They range from the Environment Agency who control the issue of licenses needed for hydro schemes and are mandated to encourage use of clean renewable power as mitigation for climate change. Large organisations such as United Utilities and Hyder may see the opportunity to exploit market potential and use the tool to target opportunities. At a smaller scale, a number of NW organisations are keen to be involved in the expansion of a new system, these include manufacturers, civil engineers and designers.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	06/01/12