Conference article

Hydropower has the highest share among the renewable energy sources of Turkey by 94% with a total installed capacity of 14;553 MW for the year 2009. Turkish government has based its energy policy on maximizing hydropower potential to be evaluated in next 15 years. In this context; private sector is expected to build hydroelectric power plants having a total capacity of 27;500 MW. Besides these hydropower plants; there is also a considerable hydropower potential in existing water supply systems. The most convenient locations for hydropower generation in water supply systems are water supply lines located before the water treatment or distribution network. In water supply lines; the excess pressure is dissipated by creating water jet in the pressure reduction tank. However; the excess pressure can be removed from the system by installing a hydro-turbine and it can be converted into useful energy by means of electricity. For a case study; the hydropower potential of the water supply system of Edremit in Turkey has been analyzed. There are 12 pressure reduction tanks along the water supply line of the city and the system has an electric energy potential of 4.08 GWh/year; corresponding to about 560;000 Euro/year economic benefit.

Hydropower; Water supply lines; Turkey