Hydropower helps to meet a growing electricity demandThis project in the Turkish province of Giresun is helping to meet Turkey's growing demand for electricity. It is a run-of-river power plant that uses the hydropower of the Aksu River and a height difference of around 50 metres to generate electricity with the help of three turbines. The project activities include the construction of the necessary infrastructure such as pools, canals, and tunnels.
The hydropower plant generates an average of 45,050 MWh of electricity annually, which is fed into the local power grid. The green electricity saves an average of about 23,810 tonnes of CO2 compared to conventional energy sources and reduces the country's dependence on fossil fuels.
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.
