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Identification of Potential Sites for Small-Scale Hydropower Plants Using a Geographical Information System: A Case Study on Fetam River Basin

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Abstract

Renewable energy sources are an extremely important component of human life on today's globe. In Ethiopia, 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas with limited access to modern energy. The primary goal of this research was to use a Geographic Information System to identify suitable potential sites for small-scale hydropower in the Fetam Rivers. There were six prospective intake sites discovered using the digital elevation model (30 × 30 m) by converting to contour and identifying head potential along the river, which were coded according to their proximity to town and ease of access. Stream flow data were checked for consistency, outlier testing, and the construction of flow duration curves for ungauged rivers by transferring using the area ratio approach. While the power generated has been approximated, potential sites for implementation have been ranked based on minimum mean monthly stream discharge, net head availability, utility access, and town distance from the grid. The digital elevation model is one of the key driving forces for studying physical processes of surface resources, according to the findings of the study. The findings of the analyses suggest that the examined regions have a maximum and minimum significant potential for small-scale hydropower for use of energy resources of 8,288.48 and 122.52 kW, respectively. Using multi-criteria analysis of eligible locations, it is possible to rank as well as beyond the 6 chosen sites, with site 3 diversions coming in first and site 5 coming in second, according to the specified criteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology, Debremarkos University, Debremarkos, Ethiopia

    Hunegnaw Desalegn, Banchiamlak Damtew, Arega Mulu & Abebaw Tadele

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  1. Hunegnaw Desalegn
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  2. Banchiamlak Damtew
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Desalegn, H., Damtew, B., Mulu, A. et al. Identification of Potential Sites for Small-Scale Hydropower Plants Using a Geographical Information System: A Case Study on Fetam River Basin. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 104, 81–94 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-022-00692-8

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