La i-hydropower Ibalulekile ngaphakathi kwe-panorama yomhlaba wonke yamandla avuselelekayo. Njengamanje, lolu hlobo lokukhiqiza amandla alulona nje olusetshenziswa kakhulu, kodwa futhi lusebenza kahle kakhulu. Ngokungaphezu kuka-1.000 GW womthamo ofakiwe emhlabeni wonke, lobu buchwepheshe buwumgogodla osekela eminye imithombo yamandla avuselelekayo engenakubikezelwa, njengamandla elanga noma omoya.
Ngokusho kwedatha yakamuva kakhulu evela ku-International Energy Agency (IEA), ngo-2014, ukukhiqizwa kukagesi wamanzi emhlabeni wonke kwafinyelela ku-1.437 TWh, okwakumele u-14% kagesi womhlaba wonke. Futhi isibikezelo siwukuthi ngo-2050, lezi zinombolo zizophindeka kabili, zidlule i-2.000 GW yamandla afakiwe.
Kodwa kungani amandla kagesi aphehlwa ngamanzi ebaluleke kangaka? Ngaphezu kokukhiqiza inani elibalulekile lamandla kagesi, lolu hlobo lobuchwepheshe luphinde lube nezinzuzo ezimbalwa ezibalulekile, njengokusimama, ukuncishiswa kokukhishwa kwesisi esibamba ukushisa, nezindleko eziphansi zokusebenza nezokulungisa uma kuqhathaniswa neminye imithombo yamandla. Nokho, iminotho emikhulu namazwe asathuthuka ayaqhubeka nokutshala imali kulobu buchwepheshe.
Izinzuzo zamandla kagesi ngamanzi
I-Hydropower inezinzuzo eziningi ngaphezu kweminye imithombo yamandla kagesi, kufaka phakathi izinga lokuthembeka, ubuchwepheshe obufakazelwe kanye nokusebenza kahle okuphezulu, kanye nezindleko eziphansi zokusebenza nezokulungisa.
Ngezansi, sihlukanisa ezinye zezinzuzo zayo eziphawuleka kakhulu:
- Ukusimama: Ngokusebenzisa umjikelezo wamanzi emvelo, awakhiqizi amagesi abamba ukushisa.
- Ukuvumelana nezimo: Izitshalo eziphehla amandla kagesi, ikakhulukazi izindawo zokugcina, zingasabela ngokushesha ezinguqukweni zokufunwa kukagesi.
- Izindleko zokusebenza eziphansi: Naphezu kokutshalwa kwezimali okuphezulu kokuqala, izindleko zokusebenza nezokulungisa ziphansi kakhulu esikhathini eside.
- Impilo ende ewusizo: Izikhungo eziningi zikagesi ngamanzi zingasebenza kahle iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-50.
Izitshalo ezinkulu zikagesi ngamanzi emhlabeni
Iminotho emikhulu emhlabeni, njenge-China, i-United States, i-Brazil kanye ne-Russia, yenze amaphrojekthi ahlaba umxhwele kagesi ophehlwa ngamanzi agqama ngamandla kanye nokuba yinkimbinkimbi kwawo. Lezi ngqalasizinda azigcinanga ngokuguqula ukukhiqizwa kwamandla kuphela, kodwa zibe nomthelela omkhulu kwezomnotho nezenhlalo ezifundeni zazo.
I-Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Plant
La Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station, e-China, itholakala eMfuleni i-Yangtze futhi, enamandla afakiwe angu-22.500 MW, iyisikhungo esikhulu kunazo zonke esiphehla ugesi ngamanzi emhlabeni. Ukwakhiwa kwayo kwaqala ngo-1993, futhi kwaqedwa ngo-2012 ngezindleko ezingaba yizigidi ezingu-18.000 zama-euro.
Idamu linayo Amamitha ayi-181 ukuphakama futhi ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha amabili ubude. Sekukonke, imboni inamaturbine angama-34 (32 ka-700 MW kanye nama-2 angu-50 MW) akhiqiza inani elimangalisayo lama-98,8 TWh ngonyaka. Lesi sitshalo sibalulekile, hhayi kuphela ekunikezeni amandla e-China, kodwa nasekulawuleni izikhukhula kanye nokwenza ngcono ukuthuthwa kwemifula eMfuleni i-Yangtze.
I-Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant
La I-Itaipu hydroelectric plant Ingeyesibili ngobukhulu emhlabeni, inamandla afakiwe angu-14.000 MW. Lesi sitshalo sitholakala eMfuleni iParaná, emngceleni ophakathi kweBrazil neParaguay. Ukwakhiwa kwayo kwaqala ngo-1975 futhi kwaphetha ngo-1982, ngokutshalwa kwezimali okuphelele kwama-euro ayizigidi ezingu-15.000.
Isikhungo se-Itaipu sihlinzeka ngogesi ongu-17,3% waseBrazil kanye no-72,5% wokusetshenziswa kwamandla eParaguay. Ngonyaka, ikhiqiza cishe u-98,5 TWh, iyibeka endaweni efanayo ne-Three Gorges ngokokukhiqiza.
Isiteshi samandla kagesi iXiluodu
Itholakala e-China, i- Isiteshi samandla kagesi iXiluodu Ingeyesithathu ngobukhulu emhlabeni. Itholakala emfuleni i-Jinsha, i-tributary ye-Yangtze, futhi inamandla angu-13.860 MW. Ukwakhiwa kwayo kwaqala ngo-2005 futhi kwaphela ngo-2014, ngezindleko zama-euro ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-5.500.
Lesi sikhungo sikhiqiza ugesi olinganiselwa ku-64 TWh ngonyaka futhi, njengamanye amadamu amakhulu e-China, sidlala indima ebalulekile ekwehliseni ukukhishwa kwesisi esibamba ukushisa ngokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla ezinsalela.
Isiteshi samandla kagesi iGuri
El I-Guri hydroelectric complex, etholakala e-Venezuela futhi eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Simón Bolívar hydroelectric plant, ingenye yengqalasizinda ebaluleke kakhulu eLatin America. Ngomthamo ofakiwe we-10.235 MW, lesi sikhungo sinikeza ingxenye enkulu yesidingo sikagesi sezwe futhi sinikezela ngogesi eBrazil.
Ukwakhiwa kwayo kwathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amabili, kwaqedwa ngo-1986. Ngama-turbine angu-20 asebenzayo, i-Guri ikhiqiza ngaphezu kwe-47 TWh yamandla ahlanzekile minyaka yonke, okunomthelela omkhulu emnothweni wesifunda.
I-Tucuruí Hydroelectric Power Plant
EBrazil, i- I-Tucuruí hydroelectric plant Isendaweni yesihlanu ngomthamo ofakiwe, ngo-8.370 MW. Yaqala ngo-1975 futhi yaqedwa ngo-2010, iTucuruí ayibalulekile nje kuphela emandleni, kodwa futhi ekuthuthukisweni komnotho waseBrazil, njengoba isiza ukuhamba koMfula iTocantins futhi ivumela ukusetshenziswa kwayo ukuchelela nokusetshenziswa.
Iphrojekthi, iyonke, idinga ukutshalwa kwezimali kwezigidi ezingu-4.000 zama-euro, futhi isigaba sayo sesibili, esaqedwa ngo-2010, sengeze amayunithi esizukulwane se-11 engeziwe, okuvumele i-Tucuruí ukuthi ikhiqize ngaphezu kwe-41,43 TWh ngonyaka.
Ikusasa lamandla kagesi ngamanzi emhlabeni
Amathuba okuthuthukiswa kwamandla kagesi asalokhu emakhulu, ikakhulukazi e-Afrika, e-Asia naseLatin America. Amazwe afana ne-Ethiopia athuthukisa amaphrojekthi afana ne-Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam enamandla okukhiqiza i-6.350 MW, kuyilapho i-China isaqhubeka nokuhola ngamaphrojekthi afana ne-Baihetan, azohlinzeka ngamanye amandla angu-16.000 MW wamandla ahlanzekile.
Ukukhula kwamandla kagesi ophehlwa ngamanzi kusekelwa nobuchwepheshe obusha bokugcina obumpontshwayo, obuvumela ingqalasizinda efanayo ukuthi isetshenziselwe ukugcina nokukhiqiza amandla ngezikhathi ezidingeka kakhulu, okusiza ukulinganisa ukukhiqizwa kwamandla kagesi kusuka kweminye imithombo evuselelekayo njengelanga noma umoya.
Namuhla, inani eliphelele elifakiwe lezitshalo eziphehla ugesi lidlula i-2.000 GW, futhi isidingo sokuphehlwa ngamanzi kulindeleke ukuthi siqhubeke nokukhula ngokuhambisana nemizamo yokunciphisa ikhabhoni yomhlaba wonke kanye nokukhula kokufakwa kukagesi emhlabeni jikelele.
Ngezinzuzo zawo njengomthombo ohlanzekile, oguquguqukayo nonokwethenjelwa, amandla kagesi azoqhubeka nokuba yingxenye ebalulekile yekusasa lamandla omhlaba, esiza ekudambiseni ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nokuhlinzeka ngamandla esimeme ukuze kuthuthukiswe amashumi eminyaka ezayo.