News in SHP

Hydropower Development Strategy in Austral,a

Owing to some effective policies and strategies, the Australian government made its exploitation rate of hydropower resources more than 60% in a relatively short period. These strategies mainly include as follows.

1. According to the principles of market economy, priority given to the SHP development. Australia is very rich in resources for generating the electric power such as nuclear source, coal, petroleum and gas etc., especially among those eastern states where water resources are very abundant, the coal reserves accounts for over 80% of the whole country, and there is a good condition for coal quality, its production and transportation, with relatively low price. Generally, people think that it's a certainty to develop the local coal in these states, but after a comprehensive
analysis on the economic benefit and the environment arising from those 3power sources and their combination, conducted by the Federal Electric Power Commission and the state electric power commissions, it is con- cluded that it's more preferential to develop hydropower (for instance, hydropower from snow hills) rather than the local coal-generated power or other power sources to meet the power demand of the state and its districts. During the loan-Payback period the price of the corresponding peak load is USS1.2 cent/kW-h, and after payment it is reduced to
US$0.07 cent/kWh, which is lower than the material (coal) cost of the thermal power, therefore, a strategy of giving priority to hydropower development is promulgated and pit into practice.

2. Considering the viewpoints of comprehensive economy, the special function of hydropower in the electric power system shall be fully used. One of the reasons for Australia developing hydropower, is mainly to fully adopt the dynamic effects and partially use the static effects of hydropower stations in the electric power system, and meanwhile, this viewpoint is considered to be the basic planning & design principle of hydropower projects, as to make each sole power grid integrated together, and enlarge the power-supply scope of the integrated power grids to take shape of a large power grid with high-voltage grade. So the whole hydro-power station can fully perform its adjustment on frequency, phase and peak load etc., to guarantee the power-supply quality and reliability of the system and to achieve the comprehensive economic profits for social production and living improvement of the people.