What will change with this hydropower technology?

The need for electricity increases with progress. Human beings are creating electricity from all kinds of resources. Electricity is being made from coal, gas, atomic and water.

Of these, water is one such source from which electricity can be obtained with very little damage to the environment. For this, dams have to be built on the rivers. And the water is released quickly by stopping. The turbines operating from it produce electricity.

Last year, 1308 gigawatts of electricity was being produced from water all over the world. It is as much electricity as can produce 1.3 million horses of racing or spend 2000 warships.

Electricity generated from water is cheap. Carbon dioxide does not come out to make it. Hydropower can be easily stored and transported far and wide.

But, when we build dams to make electricity from water, then nature has to suffer. Living creatures in the water, such as fish, die after hitting the blade of a turbine. The water stored in the dam is stagnant, due to non-continuous flow, it suffocates many organisms. A dangerous moss is born in them. Which is harmful for fishes, shellfish, birds and humans.

Now an attempt is being made to solve this problem. So that hydropower can be made more eco-friendly. Natel Energy of the United States, together with Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investment company of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, is building turbines that minimize damage to living organisms in the water.

What kind of changes in technology

Abel Schneider, co-founder of Natel Energy, says, ‘Our effort is to create hydroelectricity by minimizing the damage to the environment and organisms. We have built a turbine that is safe for fish. We are taking help of new technology, artificial intelligence and satellite for this so that we can develop new hydropower system.

The conventional turbine wings are very thin, causing the fish and other creatures in the water passing through to die. Now Natel Energy has built turbines with smaller and thicker wings. Also its wings are bent. With which the fish also pass safely through this turbine with water.

Abt Schneider founded Natel Energy with his sister Gia Schneider. Gia Schneider is an engineer. He decided to invent these new turbines and new-age hydroelectric projects by studying the shortcomings of the aging dams. He said that if the dams are built, then the dams become useless due to not raining for long in one area and the dam overflows due to excessive rains.

“Climate change means a change in water availability,” says Gia. Now we are preparing environmentally safe hydroelectric projects with the help of safe turbines, artificial intelligence and satellite for fish.

For this, the turbines of Nutella are connected to the satellite. So that those running hydropower projects keep on learning that the areas where the water is coming up to the dam, there is greenery or drought and accordingly turbines are run. The help of technology is also being taken for information on melting snow and dry land. So that water availability can be accurately predicted.

“This hypothesis is very important for the future of hydroelectric schemes because they provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to the existing hydropower project,” says Stephen Amaral of the Alden Research Lab in the United States.

Alden Lab is also developing turbines with less pointed and sharp blades. Last year, its turbine was also successful in use.

At the same time, the aim of Natel Energy is to make small hydro power projects in place of huge dams, so that water can be used in maximum area and due to the dam, water table of large area can also be improved. That is, the level of water stored inside the land can be increased. When large area water is stopped for the dam, the ground water level rises. If ever there was a drought, then this water also works for the people.

Beneficial for developing countries

Now these interlinked projects will also work to conserve the river. So that species of fish and other wildlife can be saved.

Gia Schneider says, ‘Our hydroelectric schemes are very suitable for developing countries. Where instead of a huge dam, a small network should be made by connecting small dams and connecting them together.

Since, electricity generated from water can be immediately transported to the grid. So, if the grid fails, these hydropower schemes also prove to be effective in the continuous supply of electricity.

Natel Energy has started a project in the US only last year. However, another power plant will start functioning by the end of this year.

Now that the world is looking for sources of electricity without carbon emissions, projects like Nutel Energy will prove to be very helpful in this work. With this, the river and the organisms that feed on it will also be safe and human’s electricity needs will also be fulfilled.