CIWEM Welsh Branch - Green energy vs Environmental protection – developing hydraulic structures for hydropower and protecting natural geomorphological processes

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The number of high head, run-of-river hydropower schemes licensed by Natural Resources Wales has increased over the past five years from just over 50 to almost 300 in response to the Government’s Feed in Tariff scheme. The Water Framework Directive places a statutory duty on us to protect water body geomorphology which is important to maintain our natural river habitats and ecosystems. The drive for renewable electricity generation from hydropower schemes has the potential to conflict with our WFD objectives particularly where bankside and in-river engineering for hydraulic structures can disrupt natural geomorphological processes.

In this talk we will look at the risks that building hydropower schemes pose to fluvial geomorphology and by recognising the importance of geomorphology in scheme design, promote the concept of low impact design to help strike the right balance between hydro developments for power generation and environmental protection.

For more information and to book a place please visit the CIWEM website.