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A Geospatial Assessment of Small-Scale Hydropower Potential in Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Alexandros Korkovelos

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Dimitrios Mentis

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden
    World Resources Institute, Washington, DC 20002, USA)

  • Shahid Hussain Siyal

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Christopher Arderne

    (The World Bank Group, Washington, DC 20433, USA)

  • Holger Rogner

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden
    International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria)

  • Morgan Bazilian

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden
    Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • Mark Howells

    (Division of Energy System Analysis, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Hylke Beck

    (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA)

  • Ad De Roo

    (European Union Joint Research Centre (EU-JRC), 21027 Ispra, VA, Italy)

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa has been at the epicenter of an ongoing global dialogue around the issue of energy poverty. More than half of the world’s population without access to modern energy services lives there. It also happens to be a sub-continent with plentiful renewable energy resource potential. Hydropower is one of them, and to a large extent it remains untapped. This study focuses on the technical assessment of small-scale hydropower (0.01–10 MW) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The underlying methodology was based on open source geospatial datasets, whose combination allowed a consistent evaluation of 712,615 km of river network spanning over 44 countries. Environmental, topological, and social constraints were included in the form of constraints in the optimization algorithm. The results are presented on a country and power pool basis.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandros Korkovelos & Dimitrios Mentis & Shahid Hussain Siyal & Christopher Arderne & Holger Rogner & Morgan Bazilian & Mark Howells & Hylke Beck & Ad De Roo, 2018. "A Geospatial Assessment of Small-Scale Hydropower Potential in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-21, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:11:p:3100-:d:181728
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Falchetta, Giacomo & Gernaat, David E.H.J. & Hunt, Julian & Sterl, Sebastian, 2019. "Hydropower dependency and climate change in sub-Saharan Africa: A nexus framework and evidence-based review," Earth Arxiv w7rj3, Center for Open Science.
    5. Alexandros Korkovelos & Babak Khavari & Andreas Sahlberg & Mark Howells & Christopher Arderne, 2019. "The Role of Open Access Data in Geospatial Electrification Planning and the Achievement of SDG7. An OnSSET-Based Case Study for Malawi," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-36, April.
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    7. Bekker, A. & Van Dijk, M. & Niebuhr, C.M., 2022. "A review of low head hydropower at wastewater treatment works and development of an evaluation framework for South Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    8. Soulis, Konstantinos X. & Manolakos, Dimitris & Ntavou, Erika & Kosmadakis, George, 2022. "A geospatial analysis approach for the operational assessment of solar ORC systems. Case study: Performance evaluation of a two-stage solar ORC engine in Greece," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 116-128.
    9. Geoffrey Gasore & Helene Ahlborg & Etienne Ntagwirumugara & Daniel Zimmerle, 2021. "Progress for On-Grid Renewable Energy Systems: Identification of Sustainability Factors for Small-Scale Hydropower in Rwanda," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    10. Alexandros Korkovelos & Hisham Zerriffi & Mark Howells & Morgan Bazilian & H-Holger Rogner & Francesco Fuso Nerini, 2020. "A Retrospective Analysis of Energy Access with a Focus on the Role of Mini-Grids," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-29, February.
    11. Kuriqi, Alban & Pinheiro, António N. & Sordo-Ward, Alvaro & Garrote, Luis, 2019. "Flow regime aspects in determining environmental flows and maximising energy production at run-of-river hydropower plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    12. International Energy Agency & International Renewable Energy Agency & United Nations Statistics Division & World Bank & World Health Organization, "undated". "Tracking SDG 7," World Bank Publications - Reports 33822, The World Bank Group.
    13. Peter Tauš & Martin Beer, 2022. "Evaluation of the Hydropower Potential of the Torysa River and Its Energy Use in the Process of Reducing Energy Poverty of Local Communities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, May.
    14. Jacopo Carlo Alberizzi & Massimiliano Renzi & Maurizio Righetti & Giuseppe Roberto Pisaturo & Mosè Rossi, 2019. "Speed and Pressure Controls of Pumps-as-Turbines Installed in Branch of Water-Distribution Network Subjected to Highly Variable Flow Rates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Kuriqi, Alban & Pinheiro, António N. & Sordo-Ward, Alvaro & Bejarano, María D. & Garrote, Luis, 2021. "Ecological impacts of run-of-river hydropower plants—Current status and future prospects on the brink of energy transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).

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