Topic > Hydropower as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels

In this part we will look at hydropower as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels in terms of Turkey's technology assessments for climate change. Turkey has rugged terrain and more than 25 river basins. (International Hydropower Association, 2014) This makes Turkey one of the largest potential producers of hydropower. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to the 2016 World Energy Council report, Turkey is the fifteenth country in terms of untapped hydropower potential. (World Energy Council, 2016, World Energy Resources Hydropower) On the one hand there is the fact that it affirms the high hydropower potential, but on the other hand there is also a high demand for energy. Among OECD member countries, Turkey has the highest energy demand growth rate in the last 15 years. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2016, Turkey's Energy Profile and Strategy) Since Turkey does not have large reserves of fossil fuels, it is forced to import them or resort to renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric power, without even considering the impact on climate change. As renewable energy sources such as hydropower are important, it is worth mentioning that Turkey's electricity production still depends mainly on 29.1% coal and 37.9% on natural gas, although the rate of hydroelectric sources is higher than the world average with 25.6%. (Turkish Statistical Institute, 2015, Electricity generation and quotas for energy resources). Turkey has 613 hydroelectric power plants but also plans to increase the percentage of electricity coming from hydropower with new plants. (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, 2017, Electricity) To present any assessments of hydropower in Türkiye, first seeing its effects should be significant. With the fact that hydroelectric power plants reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, therefore they also reduce CO2 emission, but they have many impacts on nature and human life. In the case of Türkiye we will explain two possible effects with examples. First of all, the negative effect is damage to the ecosystem. According to the report, for example, on the “salmo coruhensis”, a migratory fish, due to hydroelectric power plants on the north-eastern coast of Turkey, their living spaces are reduced due to corrupted reservoirs. Since this fish is a migratory fish and comes from many parts of the world, its damage to the ecosystem can be considered global. (Rize Directorate of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Management, 2013, Salmo coruhensis) The second possible impact is construction failure during or after the construction phase. If the construction of large dams fails, the damage may be irreversible for both ecosystems but there may also be human casualties. For example, in 1975, China suffered a major disaster caused by a dam failure, and nearly 26,000 people died. (Osnos, 2011, Faust, China, and Nuclear Power) In our opinion, although there are many impacts of hydroelectric power plants, the real question is: is it worth building them to replace fossil fuels? Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The answer is still open to debate due to the negative impacts. From a technological point of view, construction techniques should be guaranteed due to the irreversibility of possible damage. To make a choice on hydroelectric energy, technological assessments are important,..