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Integrated hydro- and wind power generation: a game changer towards environmental flow in the Sub-middle and Lower São Francisco River Basin?

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Abstract

Many renewable resources for the generation of electricity, such as hydropower and wind power, are dependent on climatic factors. Reservoirs have been created to overcome the stochastic nature of river flows and to make water supply more reliable. However, reservoirs are affecting the ecological status of river ecosystems, e.g., by modifying the flow regime, triggering discussions regarding the discharge of reservoirs. In Brazil’s northeast region, the installed capacity for wind power generation has increased substantially in recent years. Setting up a modeling system for simulating wind power and hydropower generation in this study, it is analyzed whether wind power generation, peaking in the dry season, can help to achieve a more environmentally oriented flow regime in the Sub-middle and Lower São Francisco River Basin. Simulated higher discharges from reservoirs during the rainy season and lower discharges during the dry season, representing a more natural flow regime, will reduce hydropower generation in the dry season. Under recent conditions, the resulting gap in electricity generation can only be partially covered by wind power. A large share needs to be generated by thermal power plants or be imported from other regions in Brazil. The planned future increase in installed wind power capacity can change this picture; the demand for electricity generated by thermal power plants and imported will decrease. Adopting an integrated approach for hydropower and wind power generation, the flow regime in the Sub-middle and Lower São Francisco River Basin can be modified to improve the ecological status of the river system.

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Acknowledgements

This study was performed within the bi-national (Brazil and Germany) research project INNOVATE (Interplay among multiple uses of water reservoirs via innovative coupling of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems) funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, under grant numbers 01LL0904 A and D) and the Brazilian Council of Scientific and Technologic Development (CNPq), Ministry of Science, Technology e Innovation (MCTI) and Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Domain Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research—PIK, P.O. Box. 601 203, 14412, Potsdam, Germany

    Hagen Koch & Fred F. Hattermann

  2. Departamento de Eng. Civil, Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências—CTG, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco—UFPE, Recife, Brazil

    Ana Lígia Chaves Silva & José Roberto Gonçalves de Azevedo

  3. Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco—UFRPE, Garanhuns, Brazil

    Werônica Meira de Souza

  4. Berlin Institute of Technology, Environmental Assessment and Planning Research Group—TUB, Berlin, Germany

    Johann Köppel & Clecio Barbosa Souza Junior

  5. Gerência de Hidrologia, Programação Energética e Consolidação da Carga dos Subsistemas Norte e Nordeste, Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico—ONS, Rua da Aurora, 1343, Recife, 50040-090, Brazil

    Alessandra Maciel de Lima Barros

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  1. Hagen Koch
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  2. Ana Lígia Chaves Silva
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Koch, H., Silva, A.L.C., de Azevedo, J.R.G. et al. Integrated hydro- and wind power generation: a game changer towards environmental flow in the Sub-middle and Lower São Francisco River Basin?. Reg Environ Change 18, 1927–1942 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1301-2

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