Hydropower for more clean energy in IndiaBeing finalized in 1926, the Bhandardara dam is one of the oldest masonry gravity dams in Maharashtra, a state in western India. This project’s hydropower plant is located at the foot of a hill next to the Bhandardara dam in the Lake Arthur Hill reservoir in the upper Pravara River basin.
The 12 MW plant has been severely damaged in the past and was successfully rehabilitated to provide clean energy to the national state electricity grid. This grid is mainly dominated by coal-based power sources, which cause high emissions. By replacing some of this environmentally harmful energy with the renewable electricity provided by this project, about 35,040 tonnes of CO2 are saved annually. It also helps with increasing the energy reliability, shortening outages, and improving the power quality. Also, job opportunities were created for the local community by the project activities.
How hydropower contributes to climate actionHydropower plants use the energy of water to generate electricity. The energy is harnessed by passing water through a turbine. Under the pressure of the water, the turbine turns and transfers this energy to a generator, which converts kinetic energy into electricity. This principle applies to all types of hydroelectric power plants: from small run-of-river power plants to pumped-storage power plants on bodies of water like lakes. In many parts of the world, electricity is still primarily generated from fossil fuels. Clean hydropower can replace some of this emission-intensive energy and thus verifiably save carbon emissions. In most hydropower projects, the electricity is fed into a regional power grid, diversifying the energy supply and improving energy security in areas affected by power shortages and blackouts. Often, these projects also create jobs for the local population. Hydropower projects thus make an important contribution to clean energy supply as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hydopower projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
